Last to Know
by Radiant Neptune
Summary: LxOC. Ellie Lafleur has gotten the chance she's always wanted. A chance to work with the infamous Detective, L. Will it be everything she had hoped? Or will she regret the day she ever accepted the opportunity? Rating has changed from T to M.
1. Chapter One

**A/N:** Okay, this is my very first LxOC AU fan fiction...Actually, its my first Death Note Fan Fiction. I made a second profile, since my other one is basically my Harry Potter stories. They are...em, pretty successful? I suppose. Anyway, that account is: **Radiant Innocence. **

This is mostly just an experiment. I absolutely adore L, and I couldn't resist writing a fan fiction about him :3 Now, if no one really likes this idea, or it just flat out sucks...I may not continue it. We'll just have to see! I hope you do like the first chapter, though. Btw, if I continue, this is about the length all my chapters will be.

Ciao!

* * *

Chapter One:

* * *

"Oh, come on! How is this any different than before?" Ellora wailed at her brother.

"I told you, Ellie," Johnny snapped at his bright-green eyed sister. "You _cannot_ come with me today! I repeat: _cannot _come with me! So just drop it already!"

Ellie huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at her older brother.

"But I can help," she reasoned testily. "I always help! I need all the practice I can get if I'm going to become a detective!"

"You're going to have to wait until you turn eighteen and can do an internship to be involved in a case like this." Johnny said in a calmer voice. "But its just too dangerous! If something were to happen to you..." he trailed off, a worried frown crossing his face.

He couldn't lose her. If he did, they might as well throw him in the grave with her. His sweet, baby sister that he'd taken care of for the past three years. No, he couldn't bear it. Not after their parents...

"You can't keep doing this," she said, shaking her head and making her mahogany curls bounce around her face. "You can't keep sheltering me...I'm almost eighteen. I know you love me, but you have to let go a little and let me make some of my own choices!"

Johnny shook his head. He was a detective in the LAPD, and he was currently investigating serial murders that had taken place over the last few weeks. They had been dubbed the Murdoch murders from the first victim—but people just kept _dying_. None of the deaths were satisfactorily linked. The only thing that tied them together was a message—a message in blood on the wall of every victims house. It had dumbfounded them so much that the great investigator, 'L' was even starting the case with them. Of course, he couldn't tell his sister about that. He wasn't allowed to. She knew he was after the serial murderer, but that was a given. He was one of the best detectives LAPD had.

Recently, she had started going with him to his office on her free days, and he had found that she was even more observant than him. She was a great help, and she had definitely helped him solve quite a few cases. Of course, he wasn't surprised. She was valedictorian and was sharp as a tack. He never let her go past paper work, of course, but he sure as hell was not going to bring her into the meeting where they conversed with L. There was no way – not that it would be allowed in the first place.

"Look, Ellora-"

"_URGH_! Don't call me that!" she cut him off waspishly, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him. "Brother or not, I _will_ smack you!"

He couldn't help but to roll his eyes at her. He didn't see what the big deal was with her name. He thought it was adorable, but she insisted on everyone calling her, 'Elle' or 'Ellie'.

"It is your name, isn't it?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Unfortunately," she snapped, rolling her eyes and letting her arms fall down. "I just hate being called that, and you know it."

Her eyes narrowed, and he gulped as he saw a flash of intuition spark in her eyes.

'_oh, no...'_ he thought to himself.

"Why is this case different?" she asked slowly, giving him a suspicious look. "I've helped you on cases with murderers before, so what makes this one any different?"

"Well..." he said, racking his brain. "Its_ serial murders_ and I do _not _want you-"

"What else?" she asked, interrupting him and narrowing her eyes even more suspiciously. "That's not all of it—I can tell. What are you hiding from me?"

"Hiding from you?" he asked indecorously. He hated that she knew him so well. She was extremely observant as it was, and her knowing him like a book didn't exactly help matters.

"Yes, hiding," she said flatly. "Come on, you tell me everything!"

_'Sorry baby sister__, __I can't tell you that we're working a case with L.'_ he thought to himself. He was tempted to tell her, seeing as she looked up to the guy—It would definitely make her get excited, and he loved to make her smile.

He looked down at his watch, raising his eyebrows as he saw he only had thirty minutes to get the department.

"I have to go, Ellie," he said sharply, picking up his briefcase. "I'll see you when I get home."

"But-"

"No buts, Ellora!" he snapped, making her snap her mouth shut. He hated being testy with her, but she was so damn stubborn he didn't have a choice sometimes.

Her face pulled into a slight look of hurt, and he turned away. He couldn't stand to see that look on her face.

He marched down the hallway, and out the front door. He couldn't waste any more time arguing with her or blubbering apologies at her – which is exactly what he would have done, had he stayed any longer.

_'I'm sorry, Ellie.'_ he thought to himself as he pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

_I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make you angry._

_-Ellie _

He smiled as he walked into the department, holding his phone and reading the text his sister had sent him. Of course, he wasn't really mad at her in the first place.

_I'm sorry too. I'd tell you if I could, but I can't. You're smart enough to understand that. I love you, sweetheart. Don't get into too much trouble today...Oh, and please don't attempt to cook. I left money on the counter. _

_-Johnny, a man who simply wants to come home to a house that isn't burnt down. _

He smirked down at his phone. That should keep her moody for a while. Being smart-alecks back and forth was basically a hobby with them.

His phone beeped quickly, and he opened her text as he walked into his office.

_Ass. _

He stared at the word for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What's so funny, Lafleur?" came the voice of a fellow detective and friend, Evans.

"Nothing, Evans," he said chuckling. "Its time to speak with L, isn't it?"

Johnny looked down at his watch, and realized he only had a few minutes to get to the meeting room with a handful of other officers.

"Right, lets go talk to a computer screen."

Johnny admired L—don't get him wrong. After all, he was a genius. But he just couldn't help but to be irritated at L's electronic voice and the fact he never showed his face to anyone. It made it difficult to trust him when you felt as though you were speaking with a robot.

"Hey man, can I use your phone for a moment?" Evan asked as they walked down the hallway. "My battery is still messed up, and I need to text my wife back."

Johnny didn't answer, but merely handed him his phone. He wished Evans would get that damn thing fixed. This had to make the fifth time that he had asked to use his phone.

"Thanks, I owe you!" he said, instantly typing on his screen.

Johnny grunted in response as they walked into the meeting room.

* * *

Ellie stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself and walked to her bedroom.

She was irritated.

Very irritated.

She wanted to help her brother, and she didn't understand why he wouldn't let her. She had helped him with murder cases before – but then again, the most the killer had had was two. Apparently, this person had killed ten people already in the span of just a few weeks! She could understand him not wanting to let her get involved, but she doubted she could be done much harm staying behind a desk and looking through paper work. Its not like she wanted to go to a damn crime scene! After all, she wanted to be a detective like him. She needed all the practice she could get. Of course, he didn't want her to be a detective. After all, it could be dangerous. He would be much more satisfied if she'd simply become a stay-at-home wife. Seeing as she was extremely clumsy, and slightly vertically challenged – it might be a good idea, but the thought still wasn't very appealing to her.

She crinkled her nose at the thought.

No, she'd become a great detective. Maybe, just maybe, even greater than L himself!

She smiled as she picked up her brush, brushing her elbow-length hair slowly.

Of course, she wouldn't be as picky as L was. She had heard he was extremely arrogant, and wouldn't take a case unless ten or more people were killed—or more than a million dollars was at stake. She admired the man very much, but she couldn't help but to think she wouldn't like him very much as a person. If an innocent was harmed, that was enough reason for her to get involved and make sure it didn't happen again. She couldn't see how he didn't think the same thing.

_'I wonder why he won't take any other cases,' _she frowned to herself. _'I bet he could solve simpler ones in a matter of days! Then, maybe the body count wouldn't get as high as ten in the first pl-' _

She dropped her hair brush on her dresser in surprise at her thoughts.

_'Ten people have been killed by that serial murderer...Does that mean L is involved?' _

Her thoughts were racing as she bit her lip in thought. Could that be it? Surely, Johnny wouldn't be able to tell her if he was working with _the_ L. The public didn't even know what L looked like, and she was sure that if and when he worked with other investigators, that he kept it quiet. Of course, she didn't have any reason to believe that—other than her brothers behavior, the number of deaths, and L's own preferences...but her gut told her she wasn't wrong.

Smiling to herself, she picked up her iPhone to send her darling brother a text.

* * *

"Can't we get more men on this case?" Evans asked sharply, looking around at the two other detectives, a computer, and a cloaked man behind it. He tried not to be irritated at the fact no one knew his identity either.

"Yes, it would be helpful if we had more people," the electronic voice sounded through the computer at the front of the room. "This case is getting quite large, and the more people we have, the sooner we solve this case."

"There are no other men," Johnny's voice sounded. "This is the LAPD. We're very busy, and all other detectives have their own cases going on...We can only do so much."

"I may be able to call on Reynold's or Matherson," Detective Peterson chipped in, scratching his beard. "But it may be a while. They're currently wrapped up in a triple homicide case."

"I suppose if it is direly needed, I could call request the F.B.I. for assistance," L sounded through the computer. "In any case, I doubt they will get involved, not until deaths grow to a staggering rate – Which I would prefer not to happen."

"Well, for the time being-" Johnny said, running his hand through his brown hair. "It looks like we're stuck as it is."

"What about that pretty sister of yours, Lafleur?" Evans voice sounded suddenly, looking over to look at Johnny with a goofy smile on his face.

"A seventeen year old girl?" Peterson said, shaking his head. "I don't believe we're quite that desperate – not yet anyway."

Johnny froze, and tried not to glare at his co-workers. The only thing that stopped him was the knowledge that L could see them through his web cam – another thing that was highly unfair.

"Yes, Ellora is a minor, but she's highly capable Peterson," he answered smoothly. "As her guardian, I will not allow it. I have already informed her that I will not allow her to assist me on this case."

Evans whistled, clearly not seeing his friends glare and Peterson fell silent.

"She's fiery, that one is – bet she didn't much care for that!" he chuckled, shaking his head.

Johnny twitched.

"She'll get over it." he said, glaring at him and telling him to shut his mouth with his eyes.

Apparently, Evans finally got the message.

"Sorry Lafleur," he said, scratching his head. "I was just making a suggestion since she's kind of brainy, isn't she?"

"Yes, she's Valedictorian of her class and wants to become a detective." he responded, unable to keep the pride from showing in his voice.

"Interesting. She has helped you solve cases in the past?" the electronic voice of L cut in.

"Yes, she is very intelligent. I let her do desk work and that is all." Johnny responded tersely. He didn't like where this was going.

"Impressive..." L's voice said after a moments pause. "I will consider allowing her to join the case if you allow it. Have you told her that I am leading this case?"

Johnny shifted in his seat. Of course he hadn't! He had a feeling L was trying to test him.

"No, I have not," he answered, balling his fists up slightly. "I was under the impression I was not allowed to do so."

"Yes, you are quite right." L's electronic voice sounded, clearly not bothered at all by his tone.

Evans suddenly burst out laughing next to Johnny, making him whip around to look at him in shock.

_'What the hell is wrong with that man?' _He thought to himself.

His eyes narrowed when he saw he was looking at his phone, which Johnny hadn't bothered to get back.

"Are you sure you didn't tell Ellora about L?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

Johnny frowned. "What? I just said I didn't, and I meant it!"

"Well, that's a smart girl you got there," Evans said, handing Johnny his phone back to him and he saw a new text from Ellie.

"L?" Evans asked, grinning from ear to ear as he looked at the computer.

"Yes, Detective Evans?"

"Ellie says Hello!" he said, laughing to himself.

Johnny looked down at his phone in shock.

_Dear brother, please tell L I said hello. Would you? Thanks! _

_-Ellie_

"B-but..." Johnny blubbered, still astounded that his sister figured that out. How could she? Had she been listening in on his phone conversations or something? He knew that that probably wasn't true. His sister respected his privacy...She was probably guessing, and wanted his reaction to prove it.

_'Great, now I look like a liar in front of the greatest detective in the world.' _he thought to himself dejectedly. He couldn't help glaring at Evans.

L, who had fallen into silence, was making him worry even more – if that was possible.

"Very impressive." the electronic voice said suddenly, catching them off guard.

"I swear I did not tell my sister," Johnny said afterward, determined to defend himself. "Like I said, she's a very smart girl-"

"Is that so?" L's voice cut him off. "Well, then, you wouldn't have a problem with me considering to allow her to work on this case? I'll judge for myself if she knew beforehand, or if she figured it out herself."

Johnny's eyes narrowed. That bastard! He knew he wasn't lying—he was impressed by her figuring that out and simply wanted her brain on the team. He was attempting to back him into a corner, and if he refused then it would look to his colleagues that he wasn't trustworthy. Didn't the man have no feelings at all? Was he that desperate to solve a case that he cared about nothing else?

"I will not put my baby sisters life in danger," he responded, glaring at the computer and unable to keep the anger out of his voice.

"I understand," the emotionless robotic voice responded. "But in any case, there's about a two percent chance that she could be harmed by doing desk work on this case."

"Then that's two percent too high!" he answered, glaring at the monitor.

"Does your sister drive?" L's voice asked for a moments pause.

"Yes, what does that have to do with anything?" Johnny asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Every time she enters a vehicle, there is a thirty percent chance of being involved in an accident." L said slowly. "Also, a five percent chance that the accident would be fatal—Either way, the percentages are still higher than if she were to work on this case."

Johnny stared blankly at his screen. Of course, that sounded logical enough. But it was easy for him to say, he did not know and love Ellora. He knew deep down that he was right, but he couldn't quite shake his protective nature.

"I love Ellora and I want to protect her," he said after a moments pause. "I will consider it, and I will let you know tomorrow."

"Very well." L's voice said, seemingly not bothered by him not giving him a direct answer. Perhaps he already thought he had won – and just perhaps, he had.

* * *

_How did you know? _

_- Johnny_

Ellie smiled as she looked down at her phone. Excitement ran through her veins. She had been right! He _was _working with L!

_I just figured it out. PLEASE let me meet L! _

_-Ellie_

She bit her lip and anxiously looked at her phone. This was a huge chance for her. I mean, how many people can say that actually worked _with L_? She was positive she'd get a sarcastic, 'woo' from all her friends if she were to tell them...but to her, it was a huge deal.

Her phone beeped and she excitedly opened her phone. She frowned down at her screen when she saw a text from a restricted number.

_Do you wish to be involved in the Murdoch serial killings case? _

_'What the hell?' _Ellie thought, staring at her phone as though it had spat acid at her.

_Depends on who's asking. Who is this? _

She quickly sent her reply, and waited anxiously for an answer. Her phone quickly beeped, and she saw it was from Johnny.

_I haven't even met the guy, Ellie. We speak to him through a computer. _

_-Johnny_

_'What?!' _she thought. She knew no one really knew what he looked like, but she had assumed that he would show his face to people he decided to work with and they were just trusted and sworn to secrecy. She understood that the general public couldn't know what he looked like. After all, L must have many enemies – as many people as he's put behind bars. He had yet to be unable to solve a case! Saying it was beyond impressive was an understatement.

Her phone beeped again, pulling her out of her thoughts.

_That is neither here nor there. Just answer the question. _

She glared down at her phone. Who the hell was this? She'd be lying if she said she wasn't getting slightly creeped out. Was it her brother messing with her? It was clearly someone from the force. They had the means to send texts through a restricted number.

_How did you get my number? I'm not answering anything I don't wish to, especially if you won't tell me WHO you are. You do realize you're being super creepy, don't you? _

She stared down at her phone. Wouldn't that be crazy if it was L himself texting her? That would be amazing, but surely that wasn't the case. The chances that L was contacting her personally was extremely thin and close to non-existent...Probably around five percent – if even that. Her phone beeped, and she instantly read the message.

_Was I? I wasn't aware. If I were to tell you who I am, you would have to agree to destroy your phone within the next 24 hours. Do you agree? _

She stared down at her phone. Okay, the chances that he was L just went up by about thirty percent.

_'Paranoid much?' _she thought sarcastically to herself.

_Um...How about no? I can't just destroy my phone! I don't know how much money you have, but regular people can't just destroy their phones and go out and buy new ones! _

She glared down at her phone. Of course, she was tempted to say she would, just so he would tell her. But then again, if he did say L, and she actually _believed_ him; she'd have to destroy her phone. She wouldn't lie to the greatest detective in the world! It just didn't seem like a good idea, especially when you hoped to meet or work with him one day. Her phone beeped.

_How interesting. Most people would have agreed, just to find out a name. They would not even entertain the idea of destroying the phone. You did not lie to me...Impressive. _

Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. Could...could this really be the L? Surely not. Why would he contact her? He was an important person and she was merely a seventeen year old girl. No, it couldn't be him...could it?

Her heart gave a violent leap when her cracked door opened, but she relaxed when she saw it was only her dog, Snowbell. She glared at the little white fuzzball for scaring her in a tense moment.

The tiny Pomeranian seemed to care less as it trotted up to her, trying to jump on the bed. She smiled in spite of herself, rolling her eyes and lifted her onto the bed with her.

"Mama is very tense right now, Belly." she said patting the dog on its head as it curled up in her lap. She focused her attention on back on her phone, hesitantly typing her reply.

_Is this L? _

She stared down at her phone, her thumb hovering above the 'send' button. Should she say that? If it wasn't him, but someone from the department, she was going to feel like a complete imbecile – and that was a feeling she didn't particularly care for.

She held her breath and tapped the send button, dropping her phone on her bed in case she somehow managed to stop the text if she lost her nerve.

Her phone beeped and her heart jumped violently. She quickly snatched up her phone, making Snowball jump slightly. She closed her eyes briefly before she looked at the new text.

_I expect this phone to be destroyed within 24 hours. _

Her mouth fell open. That was clearly an admission. Excitement ran through her and she couldn't help it when she actually giggled in excitement and bounced on her bed like an idiot.

Snowball huffed irritatedly, and jumped from her lap. She took up on her plush blanket and stared at her.

_'Oh my God...No, he could be lying.' _she bit her lip and looked at her phone frantically. She wanted it to really be L, but she wasn't going to be naive about it, she was too smart for that.

_How do I know you aren't lying? _

She sent it quickly, after all, she could be worked up for nothing. It was just too good to be true. L texting her? Never in her life would she have thought such things would happen. Her phone beeped and she opened it with lightening speed.

_You don't. If you automatically believed me, I would have doubted your intelligence. Very well, I have decided to allow you to work on the case with us. Please inform your brother of my decision. _

Ellie stared in amazement at her phone...L wanted _her _to work on a case with _him_? It was pretty obvious it was him, but just to make sure...She'd wait to talk to her brother.

_My brother doesn't want me working on the case. I'll try to change his mind...But, I don't know. He's overprotective. I'd love to get a chance to work with L, though. _

She smiled as she sent it. She was complimenting L, but at the same time, she had worded it so that it was obvious she still doubted that he was who he said he was.

_He will change his mind. I assure you. I look forward to working with you, Miss Lafleur. _

Okay, there was a ninety percent chance he was L. She bit her lip and replied quickly.

_Thank you. But please, if you really are L, you can call me Ellie. _

She waited a few minutes, but no reply came. She sighed and stared at her phone hatefully. Of course, if he was really L, then he was probably busy and couldn't sit around texting a girl all day.

_'I wonder if he's cute...' _Her mind suggested, making her groan. Damn teenage hormones. That was gross! L was probably a man in his forties or fifties...She highly doubted someone that successful was even remotely near her age.

Her phone beeped and she quickly looked at it, frowning, for once, when she saw it was just her brother.

_Ellie? You don't have class today! Don't ignore your big bro. _

_-Johnny_

She smiled and rolled her eyes. No doubt he thought she was being brutally murdered this very moment.

_Sorry, something crazy just happened. A person from a restricted number was texting me, claiming to be L...He told me to tell you that he made his decision and decided he wanted me on the case...Did you change your mind? If that was really L...its so exciting! Was it him?_

_-Ellie_

As expected, her phone automatically started ringing and it was her brother.

"Yes, oh dear brother?" she answered playfully.

"He...text you?" her brother asked immediately, ignoring her sarcasm.

"I think so...How am I supposed to know whether it was really him or not?" she asked testily.

"I had to be," her brother said, sounding irritated and making her heart jump. "He said in the meeting he'd consider allowing you to be apart of the team. The only other people present were Evans, Peterson, me, L's computer, and L's assistant. I doubt it was Peterson, he doesn't care enough – Also, Evans phone is apparently broken," he paused. "And it sure as hell wasn't me-"

"So, it really was L?!" she exclaimed into the phone, bouncing slightly in spite of herself.

"Yes...I believe so, Ellie...That bastard!"

"Hey, he was nice to me!" Ellie exclaimed. Well, he wasn't really _nice per-say._..but he hadn't been mean. Perhaps he had been a little rude, but she didn't mind that much.

"Really? You're still not working on this case."

Fury ran through her veins. He wasn't doing this to her. She wasn't going to let him strip her of the opportunity to work with L!

"This is an opportunity to work _with L_, Johnny!" she screeched. "Please, oh please! I may never get the chance to do it again!"

"I don't like the idea-"

"PLEASE?! I'm begging you!" she said hysterically. "At the first sign of danger, I'll quit and won't say another word, I promise!"

She held her breath as her brother fell silent. Apparently he was thinking it over and her heart was racing in anticipation.

"Please..." she whispered, putting on her best pitiful voice.

"I'm going to regret this..."

"YES!" she yelled into the phone, jumping off her bed. "Oh! thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Okay, calm down!" he chuckled at her excitement. "Remember your promise, though."

"Yeah, yeah, okay!" she exclaimed. "You're the best brother in the world! I'm going to bake you a cake!"

He was laughing at her and she ran into the kitchen.

"If you love me, you won't make me a cake." he said. "Even Snowbell wouldn't eat the last one."

She frowned and looked over at her white dog, who coincidentally was walking into the kitchen after her.

"Maybe she doesn't like sugar!" she said defensively.

"She started licking her butt, Ellie," he laughed. "My guess was to get the taste out of her mouth."

"You're a jerk!" she couldn't help but to laugh, though. "I'm hanging up now."

"No cake!" he said, right and she tapped 'End' on her phone.

It didn't matter to her, though. Nothing could bring her down right now. She couldn't believe it! She was going to be working with L! Well...his laptop, technically. But, still...It was exciting, none the less.

"Did you hear that, Belly?!" she exclaimed to the little white dog. "Mama's going to be working with a hot-shot detective. What'd ya think of that?"

Snowbell gave a little yip, and jumped on her legs. She smiled and reached down, plucking her off the floor.

"Well, at least you're excited for me!" she laughed as the dog tried to lick her face.


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N:** Hello there :) Yes, chapter two is up already. I can't help it! I'm just too excited about this story! And also, thank you for the reviews! I'm not the type to beg for reviews, I have enough on my other stories. This one...is kind of more for me than anything. But anyway, I'd still love to know if anyone is enjoying it, of course, that will put a smile on my face.

There's about a 95% chance this story will be changed to **M **before long. Just wanted to let you know!

**Disclaimer:** I forgot to add one in the first chapter . But, I think _everyone_ knows that I couldn't possibly own Death Note. I wouldn't mind owning L...but, you know.

* * *

**Chapter Two:**

* * *

"Are you _sure_ I don't look stupid?" Ellie asked for the tenth time as her and Johnny walked into the police department.

"I told you, Ellie," Johnny sighed. "You don't look stupid. You look fine, and it doesn't matter what you wear!"

She sighed and picked lint off her black jeans. She had discovered quickly that she didn't really have any detective appropriate clothes. She had no choice but to wear a white halter top, black jeans, and worst of all...Black and white converse on her feet. She did have a cashmere sweater, but she was in southern California – in May. She'd rather not have a heat stroke. Just wearing pants instead of shorts was enough to make her uncomfortably hot.

She felt like a dork.

"I just want to make a good impression." she mumbled, groaning as she looked down at her feet. Perhaps she could hide her feet from his cam so he wouldn't see?

"I highly doubt L, or any of the _three_ other men are going to care what you're wearing."

She bit her lip and twisted her hair around her finger. It was a bad habit she had when she was thinking, or when she was nervous.

"So...erm, whats he like?" she asked her brother, determined to fill the silence and distract her nerves.

"Ellie, you're about to see in-" he looked at his watch. "Five minutes. You can wait."

Ellie sighed, and began twisting her hair more nervously. What if L didn't like her? What if he thought she was an idiot? Oh God, she usually didn't care what other people thought, but...This was L. He was the best detective there was, and he was a genius. If he thought she was stupid, there was a pretty good chance she was. That was a depressing thought indeed.

"Here we are."

She jumped a little at her brothers voice. She raised her head and saw that they were stopped right in front of the door to the meeting room.

"Now, remember our agreement." he said sternly, blocking her entrance. "The absolute first time you're endangered, you are off this case. Do you understand?"

"Aye aye, Captain!" she said sarcastically, saluting him mockingly.

"I'm serious, Ellie." he said sternly, but his lips twitched momentarily as though he was going to smile.

"So am I!" she said, pulling her face into a mock-serious expression and scrunching her lips together.

He rolled his eyes and rubbed his hand quickly on the top of her head.

"No!" she gasped, jumping back. "Don't mess up my hair! I look ridiculous enough as it is!"

"I didn't. It looks fine," he rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, pulling her through the door.

Her heart was pounding as she entered the room. She immediately saw a laptop at the front of the room, and a man...Well, she assumed it was a man...standing behind it. He had on a trench coat with the collar pulled up, and his hat was covering his face down to his lips.

She raised her eyebrows and saw Evans and Peterson sitting in chairs around a table.

Evans turned to look at her and instantly smiled.

"Hey there, kiddo!" he said, beaming at her.

She smiled and waved at him. She had always liked Evans, even though sometimes the man acted even younger than she was. He had always been friendly enough, though.

"Hey Evans!" she said, smiling brightly. "Hey Peterson!" she added, so she wouldn't seem rude.

Peterson gave her a small smile and nod before turning his head back towards the laptop.

She gulped nervously as she eyed the laptop with a black screen. Was L already listening?

"He'll randomly show up." he brother said, pulling out a seat for her.

"Oh..." she said, feeling a pressure lift off her chest as she sat down. She looked at the man behind the laptop, and felt the need to speak, but she wasn't sure what she would even say.

Suddenly, the screen lit up, making her jump slightly. Her eyes got big as she saw a Gothic style, black, 'L' pop up on the now white screen.

"Good morning." the laptop said, and Ellie couldn't help but frown. Clearly, it was L, but not only had he hid his face, he had also masked his voice. The sound was eerily distorted, and it sounded very robotic.

"Good morning, L." the three men around her said, and she blushed slightly for not responding because she was wrapped up in her thoughts.

"Miss Lafleur?" the robotic voice sounded, making her jump in alarm slightly. She supposed she didn't expect him to personally address her.

"Y-yes?" she said, immediately wanting to smack herself at her idiotic answer.

"Its a pleasure to have you here," he said, apparently completely unaffected by her simple answer. "Did you do as I asked you?"

She blinked, and stared at the 'L' in confusion. What on earth was he talking about?

"Your phone, Miss Lafleur." he said, apparently noticing her confusion.

"Oh...you were serious?!" she exclaimed, baffled. She wasn't going to destroy her phone! She'd kinda assumed it was one of those, 'If I told you, I'd have to kill you.' type things.

"Very much so," the robotic voice. "I do not joke. I take it that you have not done as I asked?"

"Er...No, but I can't just-" she started.

"Watari, please retrieve Miss Lafleur's phone." L said, cutting her off.

The man behind the computer nodded, and started to walk towards her.

She immediately stood up, clutching her phone in her hand. They'd have to pry this thing from her dead hands.

"This is uncalled for," her brother said, standing up and looking very ticked off. "I just recently bought that phone for her!"

She nodded, and backed away from the man with the hat.

"I will replace Miss Lafleur's phone," the robotic voice said. "And I assure you, it is very necessary for my own protection."

Watari held his hand out at her, and she childishly held it behind her back, giving him a stubborn look.

"Ellie," Johnny said, pulling her attention to him. He ran his hand through his hair with an exasperated look. "He said he'd replace it. If that's the case, go ahead and give it to him."

Ellie frowned and nodded, pulling her phone out in front of her. She struggled to pull her Harry Potter case off. If they were getting her phone, she'd be damned if they were getting her new case too.

"I shall also replace the case." the robotic voice said monotonously. "Please hand Watari your phone—now, Miss Lafleur."

Ellie sent a stern look towards the laptop and stopped struggling to remove her case. He certainly was proving to be quite rude. She sighed, frowned, and gently placed her phone in 'Watari's' hand.

"Here you go," she said dejectedly, silently saying goodbye to her new phone.

"Thank you, Miss Lafleur." Watari said gently, taking her off-guard. She just assumed he'd never speak.

Her eyes widened as she looked at him, startled.

"Of course." she said quietly, looking looking down sadly as Watari pocketed her phone and walked back towards the laptop.

"Now, that that's taken care of," L's voice sounded. "We can concentrate on the case."

Ellie sighed to herself as she took her seat back. She wasn't sure if she was liking L very much right now...

"Now, I suppose we need to get Miss Lafleur caught up," L's voice said. "Watari, please give her the information I prepared for her."

Guilt washed in her at her previous thoughts. He had personally prepared a folder for her? That was nice of him...Even though it was just his job.

She smiled as Watari walked forward, handing her a manila folder, which she gingerly took from him.

"Thank you," she said kindly. She didn't know why, but she liked that man. He seemed to be kind—Even though he was holding her phone hostage.

He nodded to her, walking back to the laptop.

"Now, Miss Lafleur," L's voice sounded. "Please make a profile of the killer. Take all the time you need."

She gulped as she noticed all eyes were on her, so she instantly reddened and looked down, opening the folder to look at the papers inside.

She raised her eyebrows when she saw all the reports, and pictures even.

She shuffled through the papers to see the pictures, gasping when her eyes fell on a mangled body. It was impossible to tell whether they were male or female. All four limbs were removed from the body, and were laying around the victim.

_'This is sick!' _she thought, horrified to herself. She tried her best to keep the bile from rising in her throat, knowing that everyone was looking at her.

Beside her, Johnny shifted nervously. He didn't want his baby sister looking at those pictures...But, he knew it was necessary. After all, she had watched horror movies with worse content than this. He just had to keep repeating to himself that she was old enough, and she'd have to get use to seeing those pictures if she was going to be a detective.

Although, a small part of him held him back because he was hoping she'd change her mind...Maybe, if she saw what being a detective was like – all the horrible things _he_ had to look at...She'd pick a different career; a _safer_ career. Perhaps she needed to see these things. It might be good for her.

Meanwhile, Ellie was looking through the crime scene photos, her eyebrows furrowed on the words left behind by the killer.

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." she read aloud, looking at it indecorously. No longer caring she was being watched, she shuffled through to the autopsy report of the victim.

_Name: Barbara Simmons._

_Age: 37_

_Race: Caucasian._

_Hair Color: Brown._

_Height: 5'3_

_Weight: 123_

_Marital Status: Divorced. _

She frowned, and began looking through the other papers. All the victims were women, all in their 30's, divorced, brunette, and lived alone. As she read the reports, she saw quickly that...These women did not know each other. They, in no way, had any contact with each other.

It was odd, to say the least. Surely, this couldn't be random?

It seemed it was, considering the facts. They had things in common...but them being divorced could merely be a coincidence. The killer may prefer brunette women in their 30's who lived alone...and the one's he had targeted had just simply been divorced.

All the victims had been mutilated in different ways. Which was, also abnormal. Usually the damage to bodies was the same—But the cause of death was always multiple stab wounds to the chest. An up close and personal kill...This guy was definitely a complete sicko.

"Well," she said after a long pause. "I think its safe to say that the person is definitely male, with a hatred for brunette women."

"Yes, my thoughts also," L's voice answered. "Please, do continue."

"He's targeted all women in their thirties..." she paused. "All Caucasian as well. I would say the suspect is more than likely also Caucasian and middle aged – from late thirties to possibly forties.

"Also, the biblical quotes he leaves at the crime scenes...He may be religious, or think of himself that way. Clearly, he has a skewed view of Christianity. To leave biblical quotes at the crime scene...He probably attends a church and is fanatical in his so called, 'faith'. Seeing as all the murders were taken place in the same area...his personal residence can't be that far away from where the crimes were taken place."

She bit her lip and twisted her strand of hair in thought.

"...So, we're looking at a middle aged Caucasian male – that may be divorced, probably hurt by a woman, a _brunette _woman, in his past. He more than likely has an ex-wife, or perhaps ex-girlfriend that is in her mid-thirties, brunette, with a smaller frame. He often attends religious ceremonies, maybe even works at a church?

"His body type is likely thin, as in one of the murders was taken place on a third story level, and its concluded that the intruder entered from the window. Clearly, he'd have to be in shape to find a way to get up there. I highly doubt he'd go unnoticed lugging a huge ladder around...So, he's probably in shape, I'd say—Also, the neighbors heard absolutely nothing in the complex. He seems to be very sneaky...Perhaps a martial artist, also? I'm not sure about that part; I'm mostly guessing."

She fell silent, and everyone in the room was looking at her like she had just sprouted an extra head, including her brother.

"_What_?" she asked him, starting to feel self-conscious about her answer and turning red.

"So, we're looking for white dude that thinks he's a ninja? Great." Evans said, smiling at her in an attempt to lighten to mood.

"No, not a ninja," she smacked his arm playfully. "Just possibly someone that knows some kind of martial arts—I don't know, I'm not an expert on the subject."

"Mmm, she's right," L's voice suddenly sounded. "I thought a lot of those things, and now I'm even more sure of them. However, I did not think of the martial artist theory; It is very likely," L paused. "Probably about a seventy-five percent chance, actually."

Ellie couldn't help it when her face erupted in a smile. She'd actually thought of something that L hadn't considered?! It wasn't huge, and it definitely wasn't going to solve the case...but still, what a glorious day indeed.

"Does that narrow down anything?" Peterson asked, speaking for the first time.

"Yes, it does actually." L's voice said after a pause. "That was clever and informative. Thank you, Miss Lafleur."

She couldn't stop the deep blush from creeping up on her cheeks. She was almost willing to forgive him for apparently intending to take a sledge hammer to her phone.

"Thanks!" she said brightly, unable to wipe the smile off her face.

Suddenly, the intercom on the table came to life, making her jump slightly at the loud noise.

"Detective Evans?"

She watched her brother lean forward, pressing one of the buttons.

"I'm in the middle of an important meeting," he said, sighing. "I asked not to be interrupted."

"This is important, sir," the secretary responded. "There has been another murder."

Suddenly, her brother stood, looking very alert.

"How recent?"

"The body was just found moments ago."

"Thank you, Sarah. I'll come to your desk to get the address."

The other two detectives stood, while Ellie remained seated. She knew that she wouldn't be included in this one.

"Detectives, go now to examine the crime scene," L's authoritative voice said. "Take special care to examine how he entered the home, and bring all reports to Watari."

They all nodded and Johnny turned to her.

"I have to go pumpkin," she groaned at the nickname, wanting to shrink in her seat. "You can stay here and look at the files more closely. Do _not_ leave this building and I'll come back as soon as I can."

"At ease, Captain," she smirked. "I'm not going anywhere."

He rolled his eyes and smiled, turning to walk out of the door with the other detectives.

"See ya, squirt!" Evans said, making her glare at the door that closed behind him.

It was then, that Ellie became hyper-aware that she was now alone in the room with Watari and L...Well, sort of L. His laptop anyway, and she was sure he was watching her with his web cam. It made her slightly fidget in her seat, feeling really awkward suddenly.

"What days are you unable to come to station?" L's voice asked after an awkward pause that clearly she only felt.

"Erm...Monday's and Tuesday's I have class for the next two weeks," she answered. "After that...I suppose I'm free anytime until I get a job."

"When do you turn eighteen?" he asked.

"Um, on the sixteenth of this month." she answered awkwardly. "Why?"

"Well, if you continue to impress me – I shall consider hiring you for your deductive reasoning as long as I'm on this case. Of course, if you would prefer that over whatever other job you had in mind."

She smiled in spite of herself. Of course, she wasn't going to tell him she had Starbucks in mind until she started college in the fall. It seemed to pale in comparison.

"I'd love that!" she exclaimed, jumping in her seat.

He got quiet, and she reddened slightly and fell silent.

"So, um...When am I getting my phone replacement?" she asked, feeling the need to quickly change the subject.

"Watari will have it tomorrow." he answered instantly.

"Oh, okay..." she responded quickly, finding it hard to meet his eye...well, lens, technically.

_'God, this is awkward...' _she thought to herself, shifting in her seat and looking around the room. _'Why isn't he leaving until they come back? He's probably enjoying this and laughing to himself at my awkwardness.' _

Her defense to awkwardness: make jokes in a lame attempt to lighten to the mood.

"Sorry, I'm a bit socially awkward," she blurted, in spite of herself.

"I wouldn't concern myself with that," he responded, with no trace of humor in his voice. "I, myself, despise social situations."

"Well, obviously," she said without thinking, taking slight offense. He practically just said he was despising their conversation!

Her stomach dropped instantly, and Watari started coughing. It looked like it was in an attempt to stifle a chuckle.

"Uh...Sorry, I just mean that as in how you won't show your face—and er-" she trailed off, feeling like a dolt. "...There's not a huge filter from my brain to my mouth."

_'Oh God...Let me die.' _she silently pleaded.

"Well, obviously," he said after a moments pause, clearly mocking her words in a monotone voice.

She frowned.

"I can't tell if you're joking with me or not," she said. Surely, he wouldn't be that rude?

"I believe I already said that I don't joke, didn't I?"

She scowled at the laptop. Okay, he was kind of an ass; but he was the top detective in the world—of _course_ he was an ass. He was entitled to a little assholeness she assumed...but still, she wasn't going to dignify that question with an answer.

"So, are you ever going to show yourself?" she asked in spite of herself. She couldn't help it—she was curious. She'd bet he was some uptight, bitter, hateful old man that never smiled and drank hot tea while silently judging you.

"I'm not entirely sure," he said after a moments pause. "Its a possibility since the team is so small. I try to refrain from it, though. I've been considering it if there was another murder, which there has been."

Surprise flitted across her features. She had automatically assumed he was going to never show his face, seeing as to how he went to such extremes to keep his identity secret.

"Don't worry, I won't ask the others about you if they meet you," she said. After all, she wanted him to trust her, at least a little.

"I was under the impression that you would be included."

More shock flitted across her face. He'd include her if her brother got to meet him? She definitely didn't expect that.

"You're part of the team, aren't you?" his robotic voice asked, apparently reading her mind.

"Um—I guess," she shifted. "I feel more like they're playing the field and I'm sitting on the bench – just kinda there, I guess."

"You shouldn't feel that way," he said, and she couldn't help but to think it sounded like a monotone command. "If I meet the others, you will be included. If it happens, it will be soon."

_'I might meet L soon?' _she thought excitedly to herself. She just kept getting more and more surprises.

"Look over the file to the Burkley murder." he said suddenly, instantly changing the subject.

"Oh, er, alright," she said, looking through the papers.

_Name: Elizabeth Burkley_

_Age: 35_

_Race: Caucasian._

_Hair color: Brown_

_Height: 5'7_

_Weight: 135_

_Marital Status: Divorced_

She looked over her papers, and it seemed she was the poor third woman to be killed.

"What am I suppose to be looking for?" she asked, raising her eyes to the screen.

"Just see if anything...stands out to you. Take all the time you need."

"Alright..." she said, biting her lip.

She fished through to the crime scene photos, turning her head away slightly in a grimace as she saw the picture of the corpse.

The woman's jaw was completely removed from her body, and was laying beside her. Her limbs were clearly broken, and sticking out at odd angles. Bile rose is her throat as she looked around the body for anything that could possibly stand out at her. She wasn't seeing anything, and she frowned, looking through the other crime scene photos from the murder.

She twisted her hair around her finger and bit her lip again, as though it would help her think more clearly.

A few minutes passed, and she was beginning to lose hope. She looked at the picture of the area around her door, and paused when she saw a white box on the wall.

_'Is that an ADT alarm system?' _she squinted. _'I'll be damned. It is!' _

"What do you see?" L's voice came sharply, making her jump slightly.

"Oh, um..." she shifted. "This woman appears to have an alarm system on the wall beside the door."

"An alarm system..." he said, and she heard typing. Clearly, he was pulling files up on his computer.

"Yes, I don't know if she had it activated or not-" Ellie paused. "But if she did, I'm highly curious as to how he entered her house without setting off an alarm...Unless he knew the code-"

"Yes, I'm curious too..." his voice trailed off, and for some reason he sounded muffled, like he had something in his mouth.

"Watari, look through her monthly bills and see if ADT security systems was among them." he said sharply. "It could be of vital importance. If she did have it set up it could imply that-"

"She _knew_ him and gave him the code!" she said suddenly, jumping from her seat.

She fell silent when L and Watari both were quiet. She flushed and she swore she saw a smile turn on Watari's lips.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, sitting down quickly.

"Yes, in any case," he said, sounding unaffected. "It would imply that the victim knew her murderer—and even if not, it would imply that the murderer is someone that has knowledge of security systems, and how to deactivate them. That is something the average person definitely does not know, and both of which, could give us a lead."

_'Ah, I didn't think of that part!' _she thought to herself, but didn't voice it.

"You seem to work better when we're alone," his robotic voice sounded curious. "Your deductive reasoning skills have increased by roughly twenty percent."

She flushed. She knew he didn't mean it that way, but it sounded kind of weird to her ears.

"That's simple," she said. "Its because there isn't five people in here staring at me – only two. Well, sort of." she looked at the camera. "Its less pressure if there's less people watching me while I'm trying to think."

"Mmm, perhaps," he answered to her relief. "I believe I will schedule a meeting in person for those assigned to this case. I think it would be beneficial if we could all brainstorm together, as I am anxious to solve this case as quickly as possible. I do not want any other deaths to happen. The killer is clearly speeding up his attacks, and that is not a good sign."

Her stomach fluttered. Was this real? Was she actually going to get to _meet L_? She tried to hide the happiness from her face, but she had a feeling she was failing miserably. It was like she was a little kid that was just informed that they were going to meet Santa Claus.

"Oh, okay," she said, keeping her excitement out of her voice. "When would this happen?"

"Mmm," he answered, once again sounding like something was in his mouth. "Either tonight or tomorrow."

_'Damn! That was fast!' _she thought to herself, slightly surprised.

"I will take my leave now," he said, apparently not waiting for a reply. "Watari will contact me when the others return. Until then, please continue to look through the files, and I will be waiting to hear what you find."

_'Aw, he's leaving?' _at first, she had hoped he would go away, but now that he was...she didn't really want him to. She found that he was fun to brainstorm with...clearly beyond brilliant and she liked listening to him. Well, she couldn't wait to meet him in person. Perhaps he had a son or a daughter her age that was just as smart? That would be amazing! After all, it would be weird to try to form a friendship with someone thirty years her senior...

"O-oh...alright, then," she said, straightening up in her seat. "I'll do that."

She looked at the screen, and it suddenly went black. Watari instantly closed the laptop, lifting it in his arms.

_'No goodbye? Well, that was kind of rude. I hope if he has children they have more manners than him!' _she thought to herself, shaking her head.

"Hey, Watari?" she asked, a thought coming to her mind.

"Yes, Miss Lafleur?" he asked politely, tucking the laptop in his bag.

"Does L have any children my age? 'Cause, I mean...that would be cool."

Watari clearly froze, and then resumed placing the laptop in his bag.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up and taking his reaction the wrong way. "I didn't mean to try to invade his personal life! Its none of my business—I was just curious; I swear!"

To her surprise, he chuckled at her. It caused her immense relief.

"No, it is quite alright," he said kindly. "I was simply surprised. No, L does not have any children, and _definitely_ not any your age. I'm sorry."

He bowed slightly to her.

"Aw, that's too bad," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well, I was just wondering..."

He walked around the room and towards the door.

"Seems you'll have a bigger surprise soon."

She raised her eyebrows at him. That's all that's been happening the past two days. She doubted anything would shock her about L at this point.

She opened her mouth to question him.

"I'm taking a break, I shall return soon." he said, cutting her off and opening the door and swiftly leaving.

She looked down at her papers with a frown. That was weird, but she shrugged. She couldn't afford to dwell on it. After all, she didn't want to tell L that she didn't have any information for him, the last thing she wanted was for him to change his mind about meeting her.

With that in mind, she set to work.


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: **I am so glad you guys like Ellie! I must admit, I'm basing some of her personality after my own. But of course, I had to make her more intelligent than me :3 That is because I refuse to believe that L would ever be interested (Romantically or otherwise) is someone that was more than slightly intellectually beneath him. I believe intelligence is an absolute must where he's concerned—but also, I'm not making my character more intelligent than him. That's just – no. So, Ellie is definitely not as smart as L, but she is intelligent, of course. Just not at genius levels, like him.

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, I still don't own Death Note.

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

* * *

Ellie sat in dead silence, looking through the murder papers. To her complete horror, she couldn't really find _anything _else worth noting. No wonder they were looking for more people—she was completely stumped. Don't get her wrong, its not like she was a genius or anything, but she had never been so confused on any of the previous cases she had helped her brother with.

She was literally tempted to just throw the papers across the room and bang her head on the table.

The only thing that kept her from dying on the inside was the knowledge that the other members were stumped too. Detectives, that were years her senior. She had already discovered two things that L himself didn't think of...surely, that was enough for one day. Wasn't it? Apparently not—according to L.

They had quite a few clues, but not nearly enough to go on. What in the world were they supposed to do? Visit every middle-aged mans house in a thirty mile radius of a crime scene in _Los Ang__e__les? _And say _what—_precisely?

_'Excuse me, but have you brutally murdered multiple women lately? We're doing an investigation.' _

She rolled her eyes. Not very likely – seeing as the criminal had covered his tracks _very _well. No finger prints, no foot prints, no blood, and no hair that didn't belong to the victim. It was like a _ghost _came in and murdered these women.

"I don't _know_..." she groaned out loud, putting her hands in her hair and glaring down at all the papers.

She was frustrated, not to mention the constant staring at morbid pictures for the past two hours was making her feel nauseous.

"I need energy." she groaned, silently wishing she had brought a Red Bull or something similar with her.

_'Maybe there's one in the employee's lounge?' _she thought. It seemed like a good idea, and she decided to go for it. After all, her brother was an energy drink addict as well and maybe he had one in there she could steal.

Standing up from her chair, she creeped towards the door as if she was being careful not to wake someone up. Right as she approached the door and reached her hand out, it was flung open, causing her to shriek and jump back in surprise.

She put her hand over her heart and came face to face with Johnny – who was looking rather haggard.

"Urgh! Must you always enter rooms like a stampeding elephant?!" she asked, shaking her head and let her hand fall down.

"Where do you think you were going?" he asked, ignoring her stampeding elephant comment.

"If you must know," she said sarcastically. "I was going to raid the lunchroom for an energy substance."

He rolled his eyes and reached into his briefcase as the rest of the team walked in, including Watari.

She watched him walked to the front of the room, pulling the laptop out and setting it up.

Her brother cleared his throat, and she looked away, seeing that Johnny was holding a 20oz Red Bull in front of her face.

Her face immediately lit up.

"Oh, thank GOD!" she said grabbing it from him and opening it quickly – chugging some before smiling at him.

"Do I ever tell you how much I love you?" she asked, taking another drink as he chuckled and pulled another Red Bull for himself out of his bag.

"I figured you'd be craving one right about now," he said, walking up to the chair with her and taking a seat.

"You figured right," she responded, nodding her head. "I was close to banging my head on the table."

"Those are supposedly really bad for you, ya know?" Evans said, looking at the pairs drinks with a smirk.

"Says mister chain-smoker," Ellie said, raising her hand to high-five her brother without looking.

He laughed as she raised her eyebrow at him, making her laugh also.

"Touche, young lady." he conceded.

"As fascinating as this is-" L's voice suddenly sounded through the room, causing the smile to fall from her face. "There is an announcement I must make."

The room fell silent, and everyone trained their eyes on the laptop.

"Now, I have considered this," L's robotic voice continued. "And I have decided to meet the four of you in person."

Surprise erupted on the faces of the detectives. Ellie, of course, wasn't surprised because he had already told her this. She simply sat in silence, sipping at her liquid gold.

"I believe it will help move the investigation forward, and at this point, it is necessary to solve this as quickly as possible." L finished.

_'I wonder how this is going to work? I don't see him coming here,' _Ellie thought to herself for the first time. Surely, they'd have to go to him? It didn't matter, he probably had some sort of large estate somewhere.

"So, you're coming down to the station, then?" her brother asked, clearly having the same line of thinking as her.

"Not exactly," L's voice sounded muffled. "I'm afraid you will have to come to me. I'm am currently staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills-"

Ellie promptly spat Red Bull over the table, coughing loudly.

_'What?! That's one of most luxurious hotels anywhere remotely near this area!' _She thought to herself.

Everyone was looking at her, even though she could see the surprise on their faces as well. Apparently, they were all too stunned to speak.

"I'm sorry," Ellie said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "It's just...aren't their rooms like, five hundred dollars a _night_?"

"Mmm," L said, ignoring her outburst. "Please approach the screen and I will give the details of my room and when to arrive. I must ask you to not repeat any of this out loud."

Instantly, the three detectives stood, and began walking towards the laptop. Ellie didn't bother, seeing as she'd just be riding with Johnny anyway.

_'He must be loaded!' _Ellie thought to herself. Surely, the best detective in the world had a lot of money, but she just didn't think he had _that _much. It seemed that would be a little bit too luxurious just to _work_. Maybe if you were on your honeymoon, or it was a special occasion.

She shifted in her seat and watched her brother walk towards her.

"I suppose you and Ellie can go first," Evans said. "Peterson and I will leave twenty minutes after you two."

Her brother nodded, picking up his suitcase. She looked at Watari and saw him packing up the computer, yet again.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she stood.

_'Oh my God. This is it! I'm going to meet L!' _she thought ecstatically to herself, trying to keep her face neutral as possible as she followed her brother out the door.

As they walked through the department and out the door, she felt her stomach getting progressively more fluttery by the second. She was still in shock, unable to believe she was going to meet the greatest detective in the world.

As she jumped in the passengers seat of her brother's black SUV, she began wishing she could change her outfit. No hope of hiding her converse from him now she supposed.

As her brother closed his door and looked at her, he smiled and looked at her knowingly.

"Go ahead and let it out, Ellie," he said sarcastically.

"OH MY GOD!" Ellie busted. "WE'RE GOING TO MEET L! CAN YOU EVEN- OH, THIS IS- SO BIG! WE'RE- AH!"

He started laughing as he pulled out into the road – with Ellie spitting half constructed sentences at him.

"I must admit," he said after her outburst. "Even _I'm ecstatic._ After all, this doesn't really happen. I just wish it was under different circumstances other than a serial killer."

Ellie felt her excitement dwindle slightly. He was right. She suddenly felt a little guilty. The main goal here was to stop a monster – that should be her main focus. Not meeting L...but still, she couldn't deny that it was _awesome_.

"Yeah, me too." she said, frowning as they pulled into Beverly Hills.

"I hope he's nicer than he is over the computer." she said, looking out the window. "Watari told him he didn't have any children my age."

Johnny raised his eyebrows.

"Why? Hoping he had a son you could make your boyfriend?" he smiled as she turned red.

"No! I mean, I just thought I could...make friends...with—them." she said in her defense.

"Uh huh," he smirked. "I'm sure, Ellie."

"Hey, you're one to talk!" she shot back at him. "You won't even date!"

"Oh Ellie," he said sarcastically. "You know you're the only woman I have time for in my life."

She scrunched her face at him. She really wanted her brother to get out there. After all, his life revolved around his job and her. It really wasn't fair. He was an amazing man—an amazing father. He deserved to find someone and settle down. He couldn't coddle her for the rest of her life.

"Well, we're here." Johnny said, pulling up to the hotel.

She shakily exited the car, and he handed his keys to valet parking.

"Are you ready, sweetie?" he asked her, grabbing her elbow and leading her through the entrance.

She gulped nervously. There was no way she wasn't shaking slightly.

_'You aren't a timid gazelle. So stop acting like one!' _she scolded herself as they walked into the fancy lobby of the hotel, making their way towards the elevators.

"What floor he is on?" she asked as they approached and he pushed the 'Up' button.

"He said not to say anything out loud," Johnny raised his eyebrows as they stepped in the elevator. "You should have read it if you wanted to know."

She glared at him and rolled her eyes. Of course, she had forgotten that part. She watched as he pushed the number eleven button, and she smiled.

It was the _longest _elevator ride of her _life_. Or, at least, it seemed that way. She stared at the numbers slowly climbing, silently willing it with her mind to go faster. Finally, the elevator beeped, indicating they were now on the eleventh floor.

Shakily, she stepped out of the elevator following her brother down the hall. They stopped sooner than she would have thought, and she saw the rooms were VERY far apart, indicating that they were very large. Her eyes fell on the number on the door.

_1103_

She bit her lip and twisted her hands in front of her quickly as her brother discreetly knocked on the door.

She jumped slightly as the door abruptly opened, revealing an old man standing there.

_'HA! I knew it!' _she thought to herself, but her heart was still pounding mercilessly.

"Hello, Miss and Mister Lafleur," he said kindly, making the smile fall from her face slightly as she recognized his voice.

This was Watari – _not _L. She was secretly thankful that she didn't say anything, but she couldn't help but to wonder how the hell he got there before them. The old man must ignore traffic rules was the only thing she could figure. Perhaps he just sprouted wings and flew there.

"This way, please," he said kindly, standing aside and gesturing towards the room.

Ellie smiled at him as she walked down the small hallway. The room was clearly a large suite.

_'Isn't this a little big for two people?' _she thought to herself, keeping her eyes trained for L.

The stopped in the first room, and Johnny turned to look at Watari.

"To the right." Watari said, clearly reading their expressions.

Ellie smiled and willed her heart to calm down as she walked into the room that Watari had pointed out.

She stopped with Johnny as her eyes fell on a tall young man standing there—near the couch in the TV room. Her eyes bugged out slightly.

_'Who is this?' _she thought as she stared at the slouched man. _'Is it another one of L's assistants?' _

The man, in question, couldn't have many years on her. She'd say he was about twenty-three, perhaps twenty-four and he was..._odd_ looking.

He was wearing a _long _sleeved, plain white shirt and baggy, faded jeans. He wore no shoes or socks—and she watched, confused, as he raised his right foot to scratch his left ankle. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he was blankly staring at them.

His jet-black hair was _insane _and sticking up in every direction, slightly reminding her of Harry Potter. His skin was deathly pale, and he obviously had some Japanese in him.

The weirdest thing of all was his eyes. They were..._intense – _jet black, and blank. It was like he was looking into your very _soul. _Dark bags were underneath his eyes, indicating loss of sleep.

She shivered slightly as his unblinking stare continued to bore into them, making her highly uncomfortable.

"I'm L."

She couldn't help it when her mouth fell open and her eyes bugged out. Nor could she stop herself from gaping at him like a fish. His voice was deep, but it had the same monotone quality of the robotic voice she'd heard – completely expressionless.

_'T-this is...L? But he's so...so...is this...it couldn't – is it?' _she couldn't even form a coherent thought, let alone form words.

She watched as he raised up a pale, long fingered hand and scratched the back of his unruly head with his pianist fingers.

She couldn't help but to notice her brother had also yet to say anything, and it was so awkwardly quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Noticing movement out of her peripherals, she saw Watari come to stand beside them. They tore their eyes from the eccentric-looking man and looked to Watari for answers.

He was smiling, but he merely nodded at the imploringly as if to say, 'Yes, this man is L.'

Turning her head, she went back to staring at..._L. _She opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her, and she merely gaped at him.

_'But he's so...young!' _she thought indecorously.

"But...you're _young!_" she heard her brother say, clearly surprised by that fact like she was.

L said nothing, but continued to look at them – unblinking and expressionlessly.

_'This is...so awkward. Oh, God.' _she thought miserably to herself. She _hated _awkward situations.

It came out before she could stop herself. Like before, when the situation is awkward: make bad jokes to lighten to mood. So, that's exactly what she did.

"Your observational skills astound me, brother," she smiled weakly. "Now I know why you're a detective."

L's face didn't so much as twitch as he moved his unblinking stare from her brother, to her.

She bit her lip as she saw Johnny give her a warning stare, and she looked down at her shoes, feeling her face turning red. She wanted to scowl at herself. It hadn't worked before, so why did she think it would work this time? You'd think she'd be smart enough to stop trying.

Faintly, she heard a knock at the door and she wanted to groan. Great, two more could join the awkward circle of saying nothing and staring.

Her brother cleared his throat, and reached into his pocket, removing his badge.

"Johnny Lafleur, its a pleasure to meet you." he said, showing L his badge.

L's penetrating stared bored into her brother, and she wondered if he was even going to speak.

"As it is you, Detective Lafleur." L finally spoke, barely moving his lips.

Seemed she would be stunned again. She detected an accent, and it was...British?

_'What in the world...' _she thought to herself. _'Could this possibly get any weirder?'_

Her brother looked at her sternly, and she snapped out of her thoughts, going red.

"I'm Ellie, and I don't have a badge." she said hurriedly, smiling slightly at L. He simply stared at her, making her palms sweat slightly. He sure was more talkative through a computer.

"Ellora Lafleur." her brother corrected as the other two detectives walked in the room.

She scrunched up her nose and glared at him for using her full name.

"Peterson – Evans." her brother said, ignoring her stare as the two shocked men walked into the room. "This, is L."

Evans mouth fell open slightly before he snapped it shut. Surprise momentarily flashed across Peterson's face, before he pulled it blank again. The two detectives pulled out their badges, saying their names to L as Johnny had done.

Ellie felt slightly awkward. Perhaps she should have pulled her drivers license out of her pocket or something?

_'No, that's stupid.' _she thought to herself irritably. _'He knows who you are—idiot.' _

L nodded sternly to both of them and swiftly turned around.

"This way." he said, walking over to the sitting area, where a few chairs, couch, and large coffee table sat.

Ellie trailed behind the four men, watching as L all but _hopped _onto the chair at the head of the table. He sat there with his knees pulled up – his long fingered hands resting on his knees. He was basically _perched _on the chair, like a gargoyle or something similar.

She couldn't stop herself from staring in shock at how _odd _he looked. Her toe caught the rug on the floor – making her stumble slightly, almost making her fall, but she caught herself last minute.

All eyes, including L's, fell on her.

"Oops." she said, giving an awkward laugh and blushing profusely.

Peterson and Evans took the vacant chairs, and to her horror, her brother sat on the couch, farthest from L.

Great, she had to be the one to sit the closest to L. The others were obviously wary of him, so they had sat further away, leaving her to sit the closest to him.

_'Noble men, you lot are.' _she thought sarcastically to herself, very aware that L's dark eyes followed her every movement as she sat down quickly on the couch.

"Watari, will you please bring some tea?" L said, breaking the silence and tearing his eyes from her, much to her relief.

Right after he asked, Watari came into the room, carrying a tray with a teapot, sugar, and a few cups on it.

L instantly reached forward, grabbing the teapot with his thumb, pointer, and middle finger and poured himself some tea.

_'What an odd way to hold the tea pot.' _she thought to herself.

Still watching, he picked up two sugar cubes at a time, putting them in his small tea cup.

Her mouth fell open as he dropped in _eight _sugar cubes, picking up a spoon with his index and thumb – stirring the tea lightly. It kind of looked as though he believed the spoon was contaminated or something.

"So, L-" Peterson started.

"Mmm, no," L cut in. "Please, call me, 'Matthew' from this point onwards. Its for safety reasons."

_'Matthew? I would totally have picked Harry.' _she thought, smirking inwardly as she eyed his unruly black hair. She couldn't help it, being a self-proclaimed 'Potterhead'.

"Oh, okay – Matthew," Peterson said awkwardly. "Have you looked at the new files?"

"I have looked over the new murder," he said as he stirred the tea. "And this one...seems to be the worst yet." he paused, glancing over to her brother, then her. "This victim was sexually assaulted before she was murdered."

Revulsion ran through her veins at his words. Great, now they were dealing with a rapist serial killer.

"This woman does not fit into the category of the other women," he continued in his monotone voice, looking down at his tea. "I almost didn't believe it was committed by the same person. This woman was only twenty-five, never married, and she lived with a roommate...Who, obviously, was not present at the time of the murder."

_'What?' _Ellie thought. _'Why the hell would he change his pattern now? That doesn't make any sense.' _

"Maybe he ran out of victims," she voiced out loud, immediately regretting it when his dark gaze fell on her.

"Elaborate." he said simply, bringing his tea up to his lips with his two fingers, watching her.

"Well, how many brunette, divorced women in their thirties...that live alone can there be in this area?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "Maybe he couldn't find his typical victim, and he just went to the next thing he could find..."

He watched her, and he brought his thumb up to his mouth, biting on his thumbnail. She stared back at him—with wide eyes at him clearly displaying something that was considered a 'bad habit.'

"Mmm, perhaps," he said slowly. "It still doesn't explain the sexual assault, though."

"Perhaps he wasn't attracted to the other women, but he was this one," her brother piped in. "So, he decided to rape her before he murdered her...that's a possibility."

Ellie twisted her hair and fidgeted in her seat. It was kind of weird, talking about rape in a room with only men when she was the only girl.

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing, Detective Lafleur." L said, looking down at his tea blankly. "The killer is confident, cunning, and unfortunately, intelligent. We can only hope that he becomes over confident...in that case-" he lifted his eyes, looking around at them. "He'll become sloppy. Its bound to happen. I see this all the time—they become over confident, and they start making mistakes. Raping this woman was one of them.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to get semen sample from her...In any case, we'll have DNA from the killer. There's only a thirty percent chance he would have left semen behind, though, considering how he goes to extreme lengths to remove finger-prints."

"Even the most responsible people can make mistakes in a sexual situation," Peterson cut in. "It happens all the time. People get caught up in the moment...and nine months later, a baby is born. So, hopefully, he did leave behind some evidence."

Ellie felt like her cheeks were going to burst into flames at any moment from this situation of talking about sex, semen, and being 'caught up in the moment.'

_'For the love of all that is good in the world,' _she pleaded in her head. _'Please bring up a different factor in the murder.' _

"What if he just raped and killed her to throw us off?" Evans said suddenly. "That is a possibility, right?"

L looked at him, chewing on his thumbnail.

_'That is true...Perhaps he was getting too paranoid with his pattern, and changed it to throw the investigation off." _she thought, biting her lip and twisting her hair.

"Perhaps," L said suddenly. "He did make it clear that it was him by leaving a biblical quote on the wall, though, which cuts down the percentage of that being true by roughly sixty percent."

Evans nodded, and looked down, seeming to continue thinking.

"If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her." L quoted, looking around the room.

"Again, with the divorce..." Johnny said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yes," L said, taking a sip of his tea. "The quote implies that he killed her after raping her—because he did not want to marry her."

"That's horrible!" Ellie exclaimed, horrified. Just when she thought the guy couldn't get any _sicker_.

"Yes, quite," L said, his dark eyes falling on her.

"Yeah, this guy is definitely sick," Johnny agreed, running his hand through his hair.

"I had Watari compile a list of all the middle aged men in the area that are divorced," L said as Watari walked in the room, carrying a huge stack of papers. "I suggest we go through these papers, and look for information that is similar to the killer. Look for past violence, multiple marriages, and occupations that involve religion. All of those things are not concrete, but there is a fifty percent chance that the killer will have all three."

Ellie saw that the stack of papers were sectioned off, compiling them into five separate stacks. Watari handed L the first stack, which he took with his index and thumb, holding it in the air.

She kept watching him as he removed the paper clip, putting it down on the table before allowing his eyes to quickly flick over the first page; then removing it with his two fingers on his other hand – laying it on the floor.

"Mmm, and keep the ones of interest in a separate pile." L said, looking over the second paper.

"Miss Lafleur?" Watari's voice sounded, tearing her gaze away from L to see the he was holding a stack towards her.

"Oh, sorry, thank you." she said kindly, taking the stack from him.

He smiled warmly at her, and she blushed at the fact that he caught her staring at L. Hopefully he wouldn't get the wrong idea...

"There has to be sixty different people here," Johnny said, taking his stack. "This is going to take a while..." he sighed.

Ellie looked at the fancy clock on the wall, seeing it was already five-thirty. She sighed. She supposed she should get use to it, seeing as this was what being a detective was all about.

Her stomach growled, and she shrank slightly as L's eyes fell on her.

"If you're hungry, feel free to order from room service." he said expressionlessly.

"I'm pretty hungry myself," Johnny piped in before Ellie could answer. "What do ya say, Ellie? How about pizza?"

"Pizza sounds good," she smiled, tearing her eyes from L. "You know what I like."

Johnny groaned.

"Ellie, I'm not eating pizza with mushrooms on it," he said, crinkling his nose. "You know I hate those things."

"Well, I hate olives," Ellie said, narrowing her eyes. "Mushrooms aren't gross; olives are!"

"They're both gross," Evans piped in, making the two turn to glare at him.

"If you like, you can simply order multiple pizzas," L cut in, snapping their attention to them. "As I said, get whatever you want. Its not a problem."

Ellie's face lit up.

"No junk food, Ellie," Johnny said sternly. "I know what that look means. We're just going to get pizza, and that's it."

L looked at Johnny and bit his fingernail.

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary," he said calmly, looking over his shoulder. "Watari?"

Ellie watched as Watari walked into the room, pushing a cart full of sweets. It had little cakes with strawberries, cupcakes, cookies, and even brownies.

"Score." Ellie said, smiling her brother, who groaned.

"Great, she's had a Red Bull and now she's going to load up on sugar..." he sighed. "I may jump off that balcony before the nights over."

"It only did that to me when I was a kid, Johnny," Ellie said, rolling her eyes at his dramatics.

"It does it now too," he said, laughing at her expense.

"You've been ignored," Ellie said sweetly, jumping up from the couch and walking up to the sweet cart. She looked around and immediately picked up a brownie, and she smiled at Watari.

"Ah, come on," Johnny said, groaning. "At least wait until you've eaten a meal!"

She promptly turned around to look at him, and then shoved the entire brownie in her mouth.

"Ha, ha," Johnny said sarcastically. "Real mature, Ellie."

She smiled over her chipmunk cheeks and went back over to the couch, sitting down beside him and chewing slowly.

_'Wow, this brownie is like...really good.' _she thought to herself as she savored the last swallow.

She looked over to L, and choked slightly when she saw he was watching her blankly.

_'Oh, God...Do I have chocolate on my mouth?!' _she thought worriedly, instantly moving her hand up to wipe her mouth.

Thankfully, Watari handed L some cake with a strawberry on top, and he seemed to completely forget he was watching her.

"Well, are you going to order that pizza, Ellie?" Johnny asked, shuffling through his stack of papers.

"Why do I have to do it?" she frowned. "Scratch that; why do I _always_ have to do it? What do men have against ordering food?"

"It's not that, squirt," Evans piped in. "Its just that we voted, and you lost."

She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"What all am I getting?" she asked, standing up.

"I want a large supreme." Johnny said.

"I'll have the same – except no olives." Evans smiled, leaning back in his chair.

Peterson was immersed in his work, and didn't look like he much cared for pizza.

"Peterson? Do you want anything?" Ellie asked, somewhat loudly.

"Oh," he brought his eyes up. "Yeah, get me a bacon and sausage. Large."

"L-uh...Matthew, do you want anything?" Ellie asked L, feeling as she would be rude if she didn't...especially when he was paying.

He brought his dark eyes from his paper to look at her.

"No, that won't be necessary, Miss Lafleur," he said blankly, making her stomach flip under his intense stare. Didn't the man ever blink? It was like she was staring at a wax statue – and how did he sit like that for so long? He must have some incredible balance. She knew good and well she would have toppled over long ago.

She smiled slightly at him, which he didn't return and simply went back to reading his papers.

_'Fine, then. Be rude!' _she huffed to herself, tearing her gaze from him.

"How about you Watari?" Ellie asked, bouncing over to him. "Do you want some pizza?"

Watari looked at her, seemingly surprised that she included him. Why wouldn't she? Did anybody ever ask what he wanted? Or did he just spend all his time asking others what they wanted?

"Oh, no, thank you," he said, smiling at her warmly. "I have already ate."

"Are you sure?" she asked him, suddenly feeling bad for him like he was never included in things.

"Yes, quite sure," he smiled thankfully. "Thank you for you concern, Miss Lafleur."

She smiled at him. Hey, maybe she _could_ make friends with someone thirty years her senior! Of course, she'd love to be friends with L, but from the initial meeting...he seemed like the most anti-social person on the face on the planet. The things that he did to keep to himself were extreme, and she highly doubted he had any friends at all. Well, perhaps Watari. He was the only person that knew how to personally contact L, but that didn't mean they were friends. Ellie sure as hell hadn't gotten the friendship vibe from them...more like servant and employer.

"Where's the phone?" she asked Watari, determined not to ask L. She needed at least a little break from that dark gaze.

"Right in that bedroom, Miss Lafleur," he said, pointing to the room to the left.

She smiled and walked into the bedroom, gasping at the luxurious of it all. A king size bed, a balcony, and even a vanity. There was a door that she assumed led to the bathroom, but she's save that for later when she actually had to go.

_'If they pull an all-nighter, this is totally my room.' _she laughed to herself, walking up to the phone on the bedside table.

She quickly ordered all their pizzas, ordering a medium, mushroom pizza and side order of cheese sticks for herself. She didn't need a large pizza like the men...hell, she probably wouldn't even eat all the food she did get.

**_Four hours later_**

Ellie yawned loudly as she looked at yet another profile. She had picked out a few men, but she didn't really get a good feeling that any of them were him.

She pulled her legs underneath her, having abandoned her shoes about two hours ago. Johnny had given her a stern look when she had kicked off her shoes and pulled her socked feet up on the sofa. She didn't see what the big deal was, especially when L was sitting over there (still, she might add) perched like a gargoyle with his _bare _feet on the furniture.

L had eaten an insane amount of sweets since Watari had pushed the cart in all those hours ago. She had wanted to get another brownie, but at the rate he was eating them...she might have gotten her hand bit off.

It was ridiculous. With every cake, brownie, and cookie he ate, she'd wonder if he was a diabetic yet.

"I'm going to take a break, Ellie," Johnny said, bringing her out of her musings. "Walk around the hotel and stretch my legs. You want to come?"

"Ugh, no," she said, shaking her head. "Can't be bothered to move."

"Yeah, think I'll take a smoke break," said Evans, standing up and yawning. "You coming Peterson?"

Peterson sighed and put down his papers. "Yeah, I could use a smoke."

"Alright, well, I'll be back soon," Johnny said, walking around the couch as she nodded at him.

She watched Peterson and Evans walk out of the balcony, lighting up their cancer sticks.

It was then she started solely regretting not going with her brother. She was hyper-aware that she was now alone with L.

_'Where's Watari?' _she thought desperately, looking around the room at anything except for L.

"Watari has retired to his room for the night," L said suddenly, surprising her by basically reading her mind. "Is there anything you need?"

She reluctantly brought her eyes to him, tensing slightly when she saw his dark eyes trained on her. He was still perched in his chair, and was holding a cookie with his index and thumb.

"How can you eat all those sweets?" she blurted, in spite of herself. She couldn't help it; she wanted to know how he stomached all of that sugar.

"I prefer sweets," he said, bringing the cookie to his mouth.

_'Well...obviously.' _she thought to herself at his vague answer.

"Aren't you worried you'll like..." she paused. "Fall into a diabetic coma or something?"

He stared at her with a blank expression, and she fidgeted, highly regretting even speaking at all. It didn't seem he was even going to answer her.

"No, because one would have to have diabetes to go into a diabetic coma," he said tonelessly. It was a good thing he had no expression, or she would have definitely taken that as a smart-ass answer.

She still rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

He paused, nibbling on his cookie and continued staring. Obviously, he didn't notice it made her uncomfortable. That, or he simply didn't care. It was probably the latter.

"As in regards to my health," he said slowly. "No, I find that I burn most of the calories by using my brain."

"Well, I must be stupid," Ellie laughed. "Because if I ate as many sweets as you did today, I'd be bigger than this couch."

She smiled at him, and of course, he didn't return it. He just kept staring, and she started to feel like he saw her as some kind of puzzle he was trying to figure out. Not a person, just a puzzle. Probably how he saw everyone.

"Do you ever smile?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "Or blink, for that matter? I feel like I'm talking to a statue."

"I can, when the occasion calls for it." he said instantly, tilting his head down slightly closer to his knees.

"I'm assuming that so called, 'occasion' doesn't happen very often?" she asked, twisting her hair around her finger.

His gaze went from her face, darting to her hand that twisted her hair. She immediately stopped, letting her hand fall into her lap. His gaze followed her hand, much to her discomfort – but then his gaze traveled back to her face. It seemed this time, he definitely wasn't going to answer and was going to resume his creepy-staring thing.

"Why did you pick the name, Matthew?" she blurted, coming up with anything to get away form the awkward silence. Even though he was the most awkward person on the planet, she had a feeling she was the only one that felt anything.

"I picked it at random," he answered instantly. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh," she said, moving her eyes away from him and staring at the two detectives on the balcony. "I was just curious...I would have picked Harry."

"Harry?" he said sharply, making her gaze snap back to him. "Elaborate, please."

"Oh—well, it just you kind of remind me of..." he stared hard at her, and she felt her cheeks flush. "Erm...Harry Potter. I mean, in a way – kind of."

Could the situation possibly get any worse? Here she was, in the same room, alone, with the greatest detective in the world – and she tells him he looks like Harry Potter.

His face didn't so much as twitch and she looked down at her lap – face flaming and wishing the earth would just swallow her whole.

"Is that an insult?" he asked, some curiosity laced in his voice. Her head snapped back up to look at him.

He had his index finger on his bottom lip, and he had his head tilted towards the ceiling, apparently in thought.

"W-what? No! Of course not!" she blubbered. God, she didn't want him to think she was insulting him!

"I love Harry Potter! Its not an insult at all!" she said quickly, hoping he'd believe her.

He brought his head back down to look at her, with his index finger still playing with his bottom lip.

_'Oh, God...that didn't sound right.' _

"N-not that I love you, I mean—I really like Harry Potter! It's a good story, you know," she said quickly. "I just...your hair – its similar and..." he stared. "...I kind of want to die right now."

She stared at him, third degree burns on her cheeks, too horrified to even move. He simply stared back, his expression giving nothing away.

"Interesting," he said finally, letting his finger fall from his mouth. "My physical presence makes you nervous—to the point that your deductive reasoning has dropped astronomically."

Her mouth fell open slightly.

"How can you tell that from me talking about Harry Potter?!" she asked, insulted. He'd basically just said she went stupid in his presence.

"It wasn't that," he said, putting his thumb to his mouth. "The fact you couldn't form coherent sentences was enough of a clue."

She stared at him, flabbergasted. When someone was struggling or embarrassed, you didn't point it out to them! She couldn't believe how blatantly rude L was – and Jesus, that was just like rubbing salt in someone's wound and laughing at them. What on earth was wrong with this man? She took it back, he wasn't a little bit of an ass. He was a total ass!

"Y-you..." she stood up quickly, glaring at him. "I _can't_ believe...you are _so_ – How can I not be? With you sit—no, _perched_ there all-" she pointed to him. "Not blinking, or smiling and..._staring_! That's enough to make anyone uncomfortable!"

He didn't even move once during her rant, but just looked at her with calculating eyes.

She fell silent, and he watched her. She watched him.

"This is stupid," she said eventually, flopping on the couch and staring in the other direction. "If you don't even have the common _decency_ of acting like a human being, then I'm sure as hell not going to-"

"I've clearly offended you in some way," he said, cutting her off. "I wasn't aware that I had, but I apologize if you took offense to something I have said or done."

She immediately looked over at him, and he was doing the same exact thing. His face looked somewhat contemplative, and she realized...he meant it. He was literally so socially awkward, that he didn't realize he was being rude or offensive. All he knew is that he was talking to her, and she flipped out on him for some unknown reason.

She felt pity well inside of her, and her gaze softened dramatically. He must be lonely, wasn't he? After all, he hadn't had enough human contact to even know how to act in social situations. Obviously, when he did, people would judge him for his weird habits – so she supposed that wasn't much motivation to get out and do anything...she wouldn't go out either if people would stare at her like she was some sort of circus freak. Not to mention, he had many enemies, and he couldn't really trust anyone...except, perhaps, Watari. He could hide it all he wanted...but surely—he got lonely? He was only human, after all. He _must _get lonely.

As she thought and watched him, his gaze didn't break from her. He seemed perfectly content to patiently wait while she thought.

"No..." she said softly. "I'm sorry. You don't have to apologize."

She looked at him softly, and she saw surprise cross his face momentarily before falling back into his emotionless mask. She smiled; maybe he just needed a friend. Someone that would be patient, and accept this mad genius for who he was. After all, being friends with the greatest detective in the world didn't sound like too bad of an idea to her.

Resolving that to herself, she picked up her unfinished stack of papers, continuing to look through them. She felt his gaze on her, but for some reason, it didn't bother her as much anymore.

She finally felt it lift when her brother came back to the room, and she looked at L out of the corner of her eye, seeing him looking at his laptop with his thumb in his mouth.

She smiled slightly, shaking her head. He was unusual, that was for sure – but she had a feeling that she understood him a little bit better than she had before.


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: I slightly struggled with this chapter. I felt like I couldn't get the wording quite right...Oh well, let me know what you think! Thank you to all those that have Reviewed/Followed/Favorited. You are awesome!**

**Disclaimer: STILL don't own Death Note. Yeah, some ground breaking news there.**

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**Chapter Four:**

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"So, what are you going to do for your birthday tomorrow?" Johnny asked as they walked into the elevator, on their way up to L's room.

"Oh, you know," Ellie said, leaning against the wall and picking at her pink skirt. "Buy a pack of cigarettes...go gamble all my money away...stuff like that."

She smiled at him sweetly as the smile dropped from his face. A week had passed since they began going to L's hotel room. Well, it wasn't everyday – for her, at least. He wouldn't let her go on the weekend, because he said it wasn't actually her job and she needed a break. It had caused a huge argument, at which she'd just gave up and let him have his way, seeing that she wouldn't be able to sway him. Also, she had class Monday and Tuesday. With all that in factor, she had only been one other time. She hadn't stayed long, and L had just sat in another room on a computer, not speaking to her the entire time she was there. Watari had gave her her new phone, and just as promised, it was exactly the same as her last one – case and all.

She pulled on her black, spaghetti string top and they exited the elevator. After seeing L, and seeing that he was the plainest dresser on the planet – she felt that she could just wear whatever she wanted. It was a relief, seeing as it was ninety-five degrees outside, and the thought of wearing dress clothes hurt her slightly.

"What money?" he joked as they walked down the hallway.

"Oh, ha ha." she said sticking her tongue out a him.

"Your shoes are loud," he said, looking down at her feet.

"They're flip flops," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Flip flops do this weird thing where they..._flop_ when you walk."

"Whatever, no need to be a smart-ass," he joked. "They're obnoxious is what they are."

"No, they're comfortable!" she said, stopping in from of L's door. Her heart did a weird flutter.

_'What the hell?' _she thought to herself. She had already met him, so why in the world would she be slightly nervous?

She reached around her brother and banged on the door, sending him a cheeky grin as she beat him to it.

"Remind me why I brought you again?" he asked, shaking his head.

"'Cause I'm brilliant?" she asked innocently. "And you can't bear to be parted from my sheer awesomeness-"

"Oh, shut up, will you?" he laughed as she lightly punched him in the stomach.

The door opened, and to her surprise, it was L, not Watari.

"She struck me! You saw that, right?" her brother asked L, smiling at her startled expression.

L actually blinked, looking as though he didn't really know how to react as he stepped away from the door to allow them in.

"What are you going to do, arrest me?" she asked over her shoulder as she walked through the door, smiling at L.

"I might. Don't tempt me," Johnny said, following her inside.

"Pfft," she scoffed as she sat down on the couch. "You don't scare me."

"I have a gun, little girl..." Johnny said, sitting next to her, raising a mock-brow.

She watched as L hopped in his chair, assuming his perched position.

"So?" she said. "I have finger-nails, and I will claw your eyes out."

"Oh, I'm just _petrified_." Johnny said, rolling his eyes as L just continued watching, biting his thumbnail.

"You better be." she smirked, flexing her fingers at him.

"Says the girl that's so clumsy she fell down a flight of stairs," he said, smirking and crossing his arms.

Her face immediately reddened and she glanced over at L.

"So? That happens to people at the time!" she exclaimed in her defense.

"You broke your toe running _up_ stairs."

"Oh my God, will you shut up?!" she said, as her face turned redder.

"You're lucky I let you leave the house without a helmet and padding." he laughed at her frazzled and embarrassed expression.

"That's convenient, did I mention I'm going to ride a motorcycle tomorrow?" she asked, smiling as the smile instantly fell from his face.

"Don't even joke about that," he said seriously. "I don't even want to think about _you_ in that situation. A million bad scenarios just went through my mind. The thought of you driving one of those is enough to put me in cardiac arrest."

"Oh, I won't be driving," she said brightly. "I'll hop on the back with this big biker dude. He's got a beard and goes by, 'Bubba' and he's going to teach me how to break laws."

"If you ever bring home a man like that, I'm locking you in a room until you get your sanity back." he said, rolling his eyes.

"You're not really going to go gamble and smoke...are you?" he asked her, slight worry in his eyes.

"No, you big dork!" she said. "I was joking. I'll probably just come here or something."

"You're not coming here tomorrow. Its your birthday." he said sternly.

"Are you coming here to tomorrow?"

"Yes-"

"And how old will I be tomorrow?"

"Eighteen."

"Then I'm coming here tomorrow." she said, crossing her arms. "It's my birthday. Be thankful I'm not going to gamble, smoke, and get drunk—let me do what I want."

"She has a point," L said, bringing their attention to him for the first time. "Also, I will start paying her for her work here, starting tomorrow."

Johnny looked flabbergasted.

"B-but she's not a detective-"

"I am aware," L cut in. "But she has been useful, and her deductive reasoning ability is above normal. She has two more classes, and this case will take a lot of her time. It only makes sense that she would be paid for her effort."

Ellie smiled, blushing slightly as L praised her. After all, he was a genius and she couldn't help but to be flattered.

"I suppose that's alright with me," her brother said, but he frowned slightly.

"It's too damn early!"

Ellie jumped slightly at the voice, seeing that is was Evans and Peterson. To her surprise, they were both carrying boxes that had wrapping on it. They had gotten her a birthday present?

"We got the squirt something for her birthday," Evans said, smiling as Ellie jumped out of her seat and walked over to them.

"Aw, that's so sweet!" she exclaimed. "But really, you didn't have to-"

"Nonsense! It's not everyday you turn eighteen," Evans smiled, handing her the pink-wrapped box. "Just don't start smoking." he added with a stern look.

She rolled her eyes. Why did everyone think she was going to start smoking when she turned eighteen?

Quickly, she opened the present. She raised her eyes when she saw it was a bath-set from Bath and Body Works – complete with lotion, body spray, and body wash with a pink sponge.

"Sweet on Paris?" she said out-loud, looking a little astounded that he got her a gift like this.

Evans face turned red as everyone turned to look at him questioningly.

"_What_? My wife picked it out!" he exclaimed. "I didn't know what to get an eighteen year old girl! Patricia said she'd like it..."

The whole room was dead silent for moments before everyone burst out laughing. Well, excluding L. She swore she saw his face twitch as though he was going to smile, though.

"I do!" Ellie said, laughing at how awkward he looked as he laughed with a red face.

She went up to him and gave him a one arm hug. "Thank you, and thank your wife for me!" she said brightly as she pulled away. Thankfully, he looked a little less mortified after that.

She set it on the table and walked up to Peterson. He was standing there awkwardly with a blue wrapped present.

"Here," he said, handing it to her. "I don't have a wife, so I did my best." he smiled slightly at her.

"Thank you!" she said, taking the present from him and slowly opening the box. Unlike Evans, it felt really light.

Opening the plain box, she saw two pieces of paper inside. She raised her eyebrows, confused, as she pulled them out.

Her face automatically went into shock.

_'Is it...oh my God!' _she thought as she stared down at the two concert tickets in shock.

"Er...Johnny mentioned that you liked them...So, I figured-"

She cut him off as she jumped and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, making him tense before she pulled away, beaming.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down. "He got me Avenged Sevenfold tickets for tomorrow!" she waved them around the room. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Yeah, no problem." he said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

Johnny groaned. "Please tell me that you aren't going to drag me to that."

Ellie looked scandalized.

"You don't want to go see Avenged with me?!" she shrieked. "But its my birthday!"

Johnny looked really defeated. "Can't you take someone else? You have friends!"

"Yeah, but they like stuff like Britney Spears...and Lil' Wayne-" she mock gagged. "They wouldn't appreciate or even consider going to see Avenged live! It'll be awesome!"

"That's not the word I was looking for, exactly." Johnny grumbled.

"I take it that they're a band?" L piped in, making Ellie give him a shocked expression.

"Uh oh, Matthew." Johnny said. "You've done it now..."

"You've never heard of Avenged Sevenfold?!" Ellie exclaimed, running up to him. He was still perched in his chair, looking at her blankly.

"They're like...the best band out right now!" she said. "How can you...wait, have you ever even been to a rock concert?!"

He stared at her blankly, chewing on his thumb as she stared at him with big eyes.

"No, I can't say that I have," he admitted. "I don't really care for music-"

"WHAT?!"

Peterson and Evans were laughing, and Johnny was laying on the couch at this point.

"That's it!" she said, turning towards Johnny. "You're off the hook, brother. I'm taking Matt with me."

"Fine by me." Johnny grinned, while Evans and Peterson looked shocked. She knew she saw shock flicker across L's face. Apparently, he'd never expected her to try to make him go in a million years.

"I don't believe that's a good idea, Miss Lafleur," L said sternly, looking away from her.

"I'm not taking, 'no' for an answer." she said, crossing her arms. "You're going with me."

He turned back to look at her, his gaze darkening.

"I believe I already said no," he said, his face expressionless.

"Watari!" she called out, even causing L to jump.

Watari immediately walked in the room, looking around with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, Miss Lafleur?"

"Can Matt go to the Avenged Sevenfold concert with me?" she asked sweetly.

Watari raised his eyebrows, looking at L, who was looking at Ellie darkly and then to her, as she was beaming at him.

"I'm a grown man, Miss Lafleur," L said darkly. "I do not need permission from anyone to do anything."

"Oh, really?" she said, turning to him sweetly. "Prove it, then."

He stared at her calculatingly, and she knew she had him exactly where she wanted him. It seemed that he knew it too.

"I know what you're doing," he said tonelessly. "And it's not going to work."

She sighed.

"Fine, since you're too chicken to go...guess I'll get a _real_ man to go with me." she sighed again, turning her back on him and walking towards the couch, winking at Watari.

"I never said I was scared to go," L's voice sounded dark behind her. "I simply do not want to-"

"Yeah, no one believes that. You're scared; just admit it." she said sweetly as she sat down on the couch, facing him. His face was still blank, but she could see fire burning behind his dark orbs. Well, that was clue number one. As weird as he was, he was still like other men in this sense. He was childish, and he hated to lose – or have his pride hurt.

She was going to be his friend, and getting him out of this damn hotel room was the first step.

He was gazing darkly at her, but she could see the wheels turning in his mind.

"Er, how about a cigarette, eh Peterson?" Evans said suddenly, walking out onto the balcony with Peterson nodding in tow.

"I don't believe you going would be a problem," Watari suddenly said, smiling at his boss. "I believe that it would be quite safe."

L snapped his eyes at Watari, and Ellie could tell he was feeling rather betrayed by him at the moment.

They all sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, just staring at each other.

Evans and Peterson entered the room again from their smoke break, looking pretty put out by the fact that the issue wasn't resolved yet.

L was still staring at Ellie darkly, and her heart continued to thump in her ears. She wasn't sure where her sudden boldness was coming from, but after their talk last week, she just wasn't as nervous around him anymore. She really wanted to be his friend, as in he really looked like he could use one.

"Damn," Peterson said suddenly. "I feel responsible. Ellie, if there's no one to go with you, I suppose I can go with you so you wouldn't have to go alone. I did buy the tickets after all...even though I don't really care for Metal, I can deal with it."

"That's very sweet of you, Peterson!" Ellie said, smiling. She couldn't help it when her heart suddenly dropped in disappointment, though.

"I'll go with you."

She was sure her heart abruptly stopped beating as she looked at L in complete shock. She stuck her finger in her ear, attempting to mockingly clear it.

"What was that?" she asked, completely shocked.

"You heard me," L sighed, picking up his tea cup. "I said I would accompany you."

"Really?!" she said. "What changed your mind?"

"I suppose I'm curious to see a concert – seeing as I've never been." L said, shrugging his shoulders lightly.

Ellie frowned. She was ninety percent sure he was lying. But, why would he lie? And why did he change his mind so abruptly when Peterson said he'd go with her? Her spidey senses were tingling, and she knew something was up.

"Glad that's settled!" Johnny said. "Now, we can get to work!"

Peterson's phone went off, slightly scaring her and pulling her out of her musings.

"Peterson," he answered.

Everyone watched as he looked angry and irritated. "Now? I'm working...Can't it wait?" he sighed. "Fine...yes, fine. I'll be there."

He closed his phone and looked around the room.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go." he said, standing. "I have to go see my lawyer immediately. Evans, would you mind giving me a ride?"

"Sure, we can just work when we come back," he said, standing. "Is that alright, Matt?"

"Mmm, yes," L said, stirring his tea. "There isn't much to do today. By all means, take all the time you need."

Ellie watched as the two men exited the room, and faintly heard the hotel door close behind them.

"A lawyer? I wonder why he's seeing a lawyer..." Ellie mused, more to herself than anything.

"He's in the middle of a divorce." L answered, staring at her intently.

"A divorce?" she asked slowly.

"Yes, that's right." L said, watching her intently as he put his thumb in his mouth.

_'He agreed to go with me...Only after Peterson said he'd go...and now he's saying he's going to see a divorce lawyer...Peterson is in his thirties...oh my God...' _

"You suspect him, don't you?!" Ellie screeched, jumping to her feet from the couch.

"What?!" Johnny roared, standing also and looking at L for answers.

"Yes, I do suspect him." L said calmly. "I suspect him a lot, actually."

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!" Johnny roared. "HE'S MY CO-WORKER!"

"I understand you're upset," L said calmly. "But if you would take a seat, I will explain."

Ellie's mind was racing. Peterson?! But surely, he wasn't that...he couldn't. Her mind traveled, and she remembered his wife. She was—a brunette lady. He...always carried a bible with him, and she knew for a fact that he was adept in martial arts – all of them were. He...no, he couldn't. She hated it herself for thinking it—but now that L had pointed him out...she suspected him too.

Johnny took a deep breath, sitting down beside her.

"He matches all the criteria for the killer," L said calmly. "He has a brunette ex-wife. From what I've been able to find, she had an affair. He is angry and probably has great resentment for his wife," he paused. "He is a religious man. He wears a cross around his neck, and I saw a bible sticking out of his briefcase. Of course, he wouldn't leave behind any clues, he knows not to. How? Because he is a detective, and he knows what detectives look for. He is skilled in martial arts, as are all the detectives at the LAPD. His background indicated he also took technology courses in college, probably giving him the ability to enter a residence without setting off an alarm-"

"How sure are you that the killer is Peterson?" Johnny asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Mmm..." L brought his index up to his lips and looked at the ceiling. "Over ninety-five percent."

"But all those papers of men you gave us," Johnny said. "If you're so sure, why did you give those to us?"

"Simple," L said. "I did not include his paper in any of the stacks. He is in his thirties, and he is a divorced man in this area. I wanted to gauge his reaction – knowing that any of you could come across his paper, and he was panicking. If he was innocent, why would he mind? He'd know that the rest of us knew he was innocent, and he wouldn't be worried. It was not natural for him to panic—He hid it well, but I saw it as I was observing him. He would glance over at all of us every so often, and he shuffled through his papers quickly. He saw that his paper wasn't in his stack, so he assumed that it was in one of the other stacks. Everything about his body language proved his guilt."

Johnny immediately stood, running his hand through her hair.

"FUCK!" he yelled, kicking the couch and startling Ellie.

_'Peterson...why? You use to be such a good man.' _she thought to herself. Every fiber of her being wanted to deny it, but...she couldn't. She knew L was right. That was too much of a coincidence. There was no way...plus, L was _never _wrong.

A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it.

"I...I can't do this," Johnny said. "I have to take a walk...I can't-" he sighed, and started to walk out of the room.

Ellie's heart broke for him, and she jumped up to follow him; hoping to be able to somehow offer him some comfort. He must have sensed her, because he turned, holding his hand up to stop her.

"No, Ellie!" he said harshly, looking away from her. "I need to be alone."

"O-okay..." she choked out, but it sounded more like a sob.

"I'm sorry, Ellie baby," he said, sending her an apologetic look and storming out of the hotel room.

She stared after him, slightly broken. Of course, _she_ was upset...but she didn't know Peterson like her brother did. He was his colleague. Someone he had worked with for years; someone he had befriended.

"We were able to get sweat from the last body," L's voice sounded behind her, making her whip around to face him with tears running down her cheeks. "I'm waiting on the call now to see if they could pull DNA from it – and if they can, he will be arrested and charged."

"W-why didn't you s-say anything s-sooner?" she asked, hating how her voice broke pitifully.

"Because I wasn't sure of his guilt," he said calmly. "The worst thing that could happen would be him knowing we were suspicious of him, in which case, he would have bolted."

"W-were you suspicious of him before I started working on the case?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady as she walked over to the couch, sitting down slowly.

He was watching her blankly, and his hands curled around his knees. He didn't speak for moments, but merely watched her, as though he was contemplating telling her something.

"What is it?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"I had intended to get an attractive, middle aged, brunette from the F.B.I to work on the case, to hopefully get a reaction from him-" he said slowly. "But I was worried that would be too obvious to him. When Detective Evans mentioned your name and I found out you had helped your brother with previous cases, I became intrigued. I looked up your information, and saw that you were indeed a brunette and attractive. Of course, you were much younger than what I had originally planned, but it was still better than the alternative. It would also look completely natural if I asked you to join. You had helped in the past, you were intelligent, and we were short-handed. So, I decided to contact you and make my decision on whether or not I should allow you to join the case."

Ellie couldn't believe her ears. So...he had asked her to join to make her...bait? She became even more infuriated that her stomach fluttered against her will when he called her attractive. Why the hell should that even matter? To think, she actually felt sorry for him – and had wanted to be his friend!

"Y-you _used_ me as _bait_?!" she yelled at him, standing up and shaking with fury.

"No, not entirely," he said calmly, and it seemed like he had expected this reaction from her. "I knew you would be helpful, which you have been."

"I-I can't believe this..." she said, walking away from him. "You low down, manipulative, lying, ass-"

"Don't say something you'll regret, Miss Lafleur." he cut in, staring at her blankly.

"OH, I won't regret it, _L_!" she said, rounding on him. "And think, I _actually_ wanted to be...I cannot believe you did this! Don't you have any feelings at all?! I know how you got to the top now, don't I? You'll do _anything_ to solve a case, won't you? _You_...bastard!"

She jumped when she saw fury erupt behind his dark orbs, and he quickly stood, walking over to her in a few quick strides. She was so surprised, she froze in place, staring at him with wide eyes.

"I understand your anger," he said in an eerily calm voice, towering over her. "I've seen lust in his eyes when he looked at you, Miss Lafleur. If I had no regard for innocents—I would have allowed you to go to that concert with him, had you followed, and when he lost control and tried to _rape_ you...I'd have the evidence I needed to make my arrest—especially if we can't pull any DNA from that body."

She couldn't help it. Her hand raised on its own accord, and she swung her palm forward with all her might, slapping him right across his pale cheek.

He didn't seem to expect it, but he didn't stumble. His head turned with the force of her slap— then he whipped his head back to look at her, shock crossing his face, but it fell blank again. She was sure she could see the fury in his black eyes. Good, she hoped he was nearly half as angry as she was.

"How _dare _you say that to me?!" she yelled, fury taking over again, and she raised her hand to smack him again.

This time, he was prepared, and he caught her by the wrist before her hand could make contact with his face. His cheek was tinted pink; a sharp contrast to the paleness of his skin.

"URGH, let go of me!" she snapped, pulling at her arm and she lifted her other hand – balled it up in a fist to punch him in the chest. He must have seen it coming, because he swiftly grabbed her other wrist before it could collide into his chest.

"LET GO!" she yelled, struggling to free herself from his grip. For someone that was so thin and ate only sweets, she was amazed at how surprisingly strong he was.

"Calm down, Miss Lafleur," he said in a dangerously calm voice. His face was blank, and that just infuriated her even more. How could he just stand there not feeling anything? She knew he must be angry, but he was hiding remarkably well.

"Oh, _fuck you_!" she hissed, jerking against him. She was determined to get a rise out of him—and she wasn't even sure why. She just felt so...betrayed, and not to mention, humiliated. She felt _betrayed_. But, why should she? It wasn't like he was her boyfriend or her best friend...she just had looked up to him a lot. She had admired him—had been so excited to meet him and work with him...and he had only used her.

Tears starting rolling down her cheeks as her anger faded into rejection, embarrassment, and sadness. She stopped struggling, and looked down and her feet—not being able to stop a sob from emitting from her mouth. It was just too much. First, Peterson was an insane serial killer and...now this. The person she admired – the person she aspired to be like...had used her to achieve his own ends.

"Let me go..." she said quietly, cringing at how weak her voice sounded.

"Are you going to hit me?" he asked in a monotone voice. She became aware of how cold his fingers were. It was like ice was wrapping onto her warm wrists.

She sniffed. "No."

She felt his fingers unwrap themselves from around her wrists. He moved away from her as she continued to stare at the ground.

_'Wait until Johnny finds out about this...' _she thought to herself, then frowned. _'No, he's suffering enough. I don't need to lay this on him. He's only human, he can only take so much. He'll...God, as protective as he is – hell, he might pull a damn gun on L.' _

She frowned. It was going to be hard to act like she didn't hate L's guts. If Peterson was arrested, though, then she wouldn't have to see L ever again. Hell, she probably wouldn't.

A painful stab hit her stomach. Why should she care that she'd never see him again? He was an asshole, and she should be glad! But, she just couldn't make herself be _glad_.

She raised her head, and her eyes fell on the coffee table. There, lay the tickets that Peterson had gotten her. Her throat constricted, and she immediately walked up to the table, picking them up, and ripping them up before throwing them in a bin.

She glared in the trashcan before she finally brought her eyes to L. He was standing in front of his chair, watching her every action with his dark gaze.

"Dodged that bullet, didn't you?" she said hatefully, turning around and storming out of the room.

_'My birthday is ruined anyway. I don't want to go to a concert when the tickets were from a murderer...one that probably intended to go with me and rape me.' _she stiffened at her thoughts, and walked faster towards the door of the hotel room.

"Ellora."

She paused when she heard L's deep voice behind her, but she couldn't bear to turn around to face him. She had to get out of there. She kept walking, opening up the door and slamming it with all her might behind her.

Tears ran down her face as she entered the elevator. She had no way of going home. Johnny had stormed off, and she didn't know when he was coming back. Well, she sure as hell wasn't going back to the room.

As the elevator went down, she wiped the wetness from her face, hoping she didn't look too terrible.

She arrived to the bottom floor, and she walked into the lobby. Looking outside, she saw there were a ton of people at the outside pool, enjoying the good weather. She didn't really want to be around anyone, so she walked down the hallway. She saw a sign for the indoor pool, so she decided to check that out.

She opened the door to the indoor pool, relieved to see there was absolutely no one in there.

Smiling slightly to herself, she walked inside, and sat in one of the chairs beside the pool. She couldn't believe all this was happening. Peterson...a _murderer_! Not only that, chances were...he had wanted to harm her.

She shivered.

_'Thank God L said something...' _she thought, then almost smacked herself. She didn't need to feel gratitude for him!

She groaned, looking at the water and wishing she had her suit. Suddenly, a crazy idea entered her head.

"Fuck it!" she said, kicking off her shoes, placing her cell on the table, and walking towards the pool. Dipping her toe in, she felt that it was pleasantly cool. Holding her breath, she jumped right in the deep end, clothes and all.

The cool water hit her skin like needles, and she kicked her feet, breaking the surface with a deep breath. She smiled slightly to herself, closing her eyes as she floated on her back, kicking her feet slightly as she moved across the water. Her tense muscles relaxed some as the water caressed them, and she didn't regret doing this for a moment.

"What are you doing, Miss Lafleur?"

She shrieked, cause she hadn't heard anyone enter and almost went under.

She whipped her wet head around to see Watari standing by the pool, looking at her in question.

"Oh, Watari," she said, relieved it wasn't L. Like he'd care enough to come after her anyway. "You frightened me."

"I do apologize, Miss Lafleur." he said, bowing slightly. "Shall I get you a towel?"

"Not just yet," she said, she sighed and went under the water. She swam down for a few minutes, but eventually, the need for oxygen forced her to break the surface. She gasped and rubbed her eyes, and she was at the shallow end now so she stood up in the water.

"For a moment I thought you were going to attempt to drown yourself."

She laughed slightly, looking over at Watari, who was smiling at her pleasantly.

"Why did – Matthew...use me?" she asked quietly, looking away from him and down at the water.

"Matthew is-" he paused. "A complicated person, Miss Lafleur. Solving cases is all that's ever been important to him. Surely, you can understand that to an extent?"

"I just—" she sighed. "I just decided I wanted to try to be his friend – you know? And then I find out...Its just – its so embarrassing! I feel like a kid that just found out Santa Claus was conspiring against me."

"He has never had a friend, Miss Lafleur." Watari responded. "I'm not quite sure he'd know how to respond to something like that. If you truly want to be his friend, if its even possible—it would require an abnormal amount of patience—More than most people posses."

"Never?" she asked, hating herself when a stab of pity hit her. Of course, she had assumed that he never had one...but to hear it confirmed as true made things quite different. "I don't know if I want to anymore. He-" she frowned. "Hurt my feelings." she admitted, and God, did it feel pathetic.

"Are you not his friend, Watari?" she asked quickly, moving the subject from her.

"I am his caretaker, and I suppose I would consider myself his father figure-" he smiled. "But I'm sure it wouldn't be defined as a friend. At least, not in the way you could be friends with him."

She looked at him in silence and he walked around to the stairs, holding out a towel to her.

She sighed and walked up the steps, looking down. Her face turned red when she became aware that her clothes were sticking to her body a little bit too tightly for her liking.

She quickly grabbed the towel from him, wrapping it around her body and hoping he didn't notice anything.

She walked past him, wringing out her hair, that fell almost to her waist while it was wet. Shivering slightly, she slipped her flip flops on her feet and they were instantly soaked from all the water that was clinging to her clothes.

"Did my brother come back?" she asked him as she grabbed another towel, using it to dry her hair.

"No, not yet. I believe he left in his vehicle." Watari responded. "I'm sure he is fine. Today was shocking for him – he just needs time to himself to sort out his feelings. Men do things like that." he winked at her as though he was telling her something that was top-secret.

"You wouldn't happen to have any girl clothes my size laying around your hotel room, would you?" she asked, laughing sadly.

"No, but if you would like, I can go get you some clothes, Miss Lafleur."

"No, that's not necessary." she said, feeling guilty at Watari having to do something extra because of her.

"If you insist," he said, bowing. "But I must warn you, Matthew will say otherwise."

She scoffed. "Don't let that control freak tell you what to do when it comes to me!"

Watari blinked, then started chuckling lightly at her.

"Shall we go back to the room? Perhaps we can find you something suitable to wear, then?"

She sighed, grabbing her phone and nodding in spite of herself. It didn't look like she had much of an option but to go to the room now.

"Fine, lets go." she said sadly, attempting to do an angry walk. It didn't much work out, though, when the wet rubber of her shoes made squeaking noises with every step she took. In fact, that, combined with her anger, probably looked more comical than scary.

She stepped into the elevator, with Watari walking right behind her. He pushed the eleven button, and she avoided looking at him.

"Did he send you after me?" she asked, suddenly feeling bad that Watari might have witnessed her trying to pummel L.

"Yes, he did Miss Lafleur," He responded, nodding at her.

"Of course he wouldn't do it himself." she muttered, looking at the floor. Why would he? It wasn't like he gave a damn about anyone but himself. He had proved that already.

Remember when she said the first elevator ride was the longest of her life? Well, this one felt like it was an eternity longer.

Finally, the elevator dinged, and the door opened. She hurriedly walked out and up to the door. Standing aside, she watched Watari pull his key-card out and slip it in the door, opening it. He walked inside, and held the door open for her.

"Thank you, you're a gentleman, Watari," she said loudly, hoping that L would hear her.

He smiled and nodded. "I try to be."

Her heart raced in her chest as she walked in the hotel room, contemplating bolting out the door. She hated it, but she almost regretted trying to pummel L. Of course, he had lied and used her as bait – so, technically, he _had_ deserved it. But still, she couldn't help but to think she was too nice for her own good.

"Can I take a shower?" she asked Watari as she walked in the main room, seeing L perched in his chair out of the corner of her eye. She was determined not to look at him.

"Mmm, yes," L's voice said, jumping up in his perched position on his chair as her eyes fell on him against her will. "Feel free to use that bathroom and bedroom. Watari will bring you some clothes and leave them on the bed while you're in there." he finished, pointing to the door behind him.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she walked past him without a word—grabbing her bath-set off the table and opened the bedroom door. It was the bedroom she had picked out on her first day, and it still looked untouched. She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even use it. He probably slept in the chair (whenever he actually did sleep – if his eyes were anything to go by) in his damn gargoyle position...with his thumb in his mouth – just like a child.

She sighed as she entered the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. It was a beautiful bathroom, with marble everywhere, a whirlpool tub, and a huge shower head.

She had half a mind to take a bath, but decided that would be kind of weird – not to mention it would take too long to fill the tub up.

Quickly removing her clothes, she grabbed the bath set and turned the shower on.

She sighed as she stepped under the warm spray, and she opened her new body wash and sniffed it. It smelled like candy. Rolling her eyes, she lathered up the sponge and washed the chlorine off herself quickly. She picked up some hotel shampoo and saw it was Camille and lavender – it smelt pleasant enough.

She finished her shower as quickly as possible, and slipped out – grabbing one of the big, fluffy towels and wrapping it around her.

Opening the door, she peeked out, and saw there was indeed – clothes laying on the bed for her.

She smiled and walked towards the bed, kind of curious as to what kind of clothes Watari would pick out for her.

She looked down, and gasped.

_'Oh, this is so cute!' _she thought to herself, seeing the black, ruffled tank top – with some stylish blue jean shorts that had fashion rips in them. Looking at the tag, she almost dropped it in shock.

_Dolce & Gabbana_

_'damn, rich asshole person.' _she thought about L. Of course, no cheap Wal-Mart clothes for her.

On the floor, she noticed there were simple black flip flops, that were also the same designer. Thankfully, the shirt had a built-in bra, and she quickly slipped it over her head. She lifted the shorts, and she gasped in embarrassment when she saw a simple, black pair of underwear laying there.

_'Oh God, this is mortifying.' _she thought as she slipped them on, trying not to think about Watari buying her panties.

She finished putting on her new clothes, and she was a little irritated to see that the shorts were a little too small for her. Either that, or she was too tall for them. Which was likely, seeing as she was about five-six. They ended right under her butt, and she felt like Daisy Duke. Everything else was a perfect fit, though.

She ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to separate her curls so it wouldn't dry into an afro. She sighed, and walked into the bathroom, grabbing her new body spray, squirting it on her arms and neck. She put her wet clothes in a laundry bag, tying it up and leaving it there, not quite sure what else to do with it.

She walked towards the door, pulling on her new shorts and trying in vain to make them longer. All in all, Watari did a good job, considering he had no idea what her size was.

_'Maybe Johnny is back?' _she thought hopefully, pulling the door open quickly and walking out to look around the TV room. To her complete disappointment, she only saw L perched on his chair. He had a tiny plate of cake, and was currently shoving it into his mouth.

"I'm starting to wonder if my brothers ever coming back," she said as L shoved cake in his mouth.

He turned to look at her, and his eyes flicked over her outfit. His large eyes bulged slightly, and he started coughing, choking on his cake.

She hated herself when worry welled up in her, and she hurried over to him and smacked him on the back a few times, causing him to tense.

"Are you okay?" she asked, wanting to kick herself when she heard the worry in her own voice. "It was bound to happen eventually, the way you shovel it in."

"You do realize that slapping someone on the back doesn't actually stop them from choking, don't you?" he said, staring up at her blankly.

"Fine, next time I'll just let you hack yourself to death and watch." she spat, storming over to the couch and flopping down ungracefully. "Maybe I just wanted an excuse to hit you." she smirked.

"That doesn't mean your concern wasn't appreciated, Miss Lafleur." he said, putting another piece of cake in his mouth.

"We're back to 'Miss Lafleur' now, are we?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, I used your first name before merely as means to stop you from leaving the room," he admitted, bringing his tea up to his lips. "Obviously, it did not work."

"Obviously," she sneered. "Fine, as long as you call me, 'Miss Lafleur' – I'm getting what I want and calling you, 'Harry' then."

He stared at her and she stared back with her lips scrunched up into her resolve face.

"If that's what pleases you," he said. "Call me whatever you like."

"OH, really? Whatever I want, huh? Well, in that case-"

"You can call me, Harry." he cut in, ignoring her comment and going back to his cake.

"How about I call you your real name?" she asked. She really didn't think he'd ever tell her in a million years, but she just thought she'd ask to get his reaction.

His eyes went from his cake to her and he stared at her expressionlessly.

"No." he said quietly, turning his eyes back to his cake.

"Fine, I'll try to guess your real name." she said, nodding. She wasn't sure why she was trying to annoy him, but it felt like she was getting a little bit of revenge.

"By all means, go ahead," he said dully. "Even if you happen to correctly guess—I will not confirm it."

"Nick?" she asked, as the first name popped in her head.

"No." he said, watching her intently.

"Josh?"

"No."

"Michael?"

"No."

"...Dick?"

His stare hardened on her, and she smiled at him.

"_What_? There are a lot of people named Dick. It was a legitimate guess, I swear." she said innocently.

"I'm sure." he said blankly, watching her over his tea.

"You didn't deny it," she pointed out. "Am I to assume that your name is Dick?"

"No, that is not my name." he said, looking away from her and picking up a cookie.

"Figured as much," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Why do you like to sit that way?"

He sighed and put his tea down on the coffee table, resting his hands on his knees.

"I don't sit like this because I want to sit like this," he said, meeting her eyes. "You see, if I were to sit normally, my deductive reasoning skills would be reduced by roughly forty percent."

"That again, huh?" she said, kicking her shoes off and pulling her legs underneath her. "What else makes your deductive reasoning skills drop? Other than sitting like a normal person, that is."

"You." he said flatly, turning his head away from her and staring at the wall.

"Me?" she asked, flabbergasted. What in the world did she have to do with anything?

"Mmm, yes, that's what I said."

"Oh, I see," she said, tapping her chin in mock thought. "Let me guess, I'm just so annoying that I distract you and make you too irritated to think straight – is that about right?"

An irritated look flashed across his blank face. "I never said that."

"I'm going to assume you're still angry at me?" he asked lowly.

"I don't know." she shrugged. "Are you still an asshole?"

He stared at her and if he was angry, he didn't show it.

"Your personality isn't typical," he said, putting his thumb near his mouth. "You don't make much sense, really. In the beginning, you acted very much like a timid gazelle around me, and now – you're like a lioness, claws ready to tear me to pieces."

"Betrayal tends to do that to people." she spat, wanting to kick herself when she realized that that was what he wanted when his eyes turned calculating.

"Betrayed?" he repeated. "Please, elaborate."

"No." she said stubbornly, turning her head away.

"I will not drop this." he warned her, making her scoff.

"Go ahead, waste your time! See if I care."

L's phone started ringing, and she watched as he answered it in his weird way, as he held it by the top with his index and thumb.

"Yeess? I see, Watari...no, that is not good news at all. Yes, do what you can." he closed his phone and looked over at her.

"They found Peterson's DNA on the last victims body," he said slowly. "They went to apprehend him, but he's fled."

* * *

**A/N: Surprise! I kind of wondered if anyone guessed that would happen x.x Every chapter, I was like oh God, I'm making it super obvious! I hope this chapter answers some questions :) **

**Also, my favorite band is Avenged Sevenfold.  
**

**AND I did break my toe running up stairs once...and I fell down a flight of stairs when I was eight :( A little personal experience in there. Well, let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry this update took a while...I've literally been through the 9th circle of HELL lately. Hopefully, my updates will be much quicker in the future! Anyway, thank you for your encouraging reviews :) It means a lot!**

**Disclaimer: I own L. HA, jk. I don't own Death Note...*sad face***

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

* * *

Ellie felt as though cold water had been poured through her veins.

"H-he got away?"

_'But how?' _she thought. _'Wasn't Evans with him?'_

"Yes, and I believe I'm at fault." L said dryly, looking away from her and biting his thumb nail.

"Your fault?" she asked indecorously. "How could it possibly be your fault?"

"When I said I'd go to that concert with you right after he offered," L said quietly. "I wasn't sure we'd be able to pull the DNA by tomorrow, if at all; but I couldn't let you go with him—I had to intervene. I'm sure that made him think back to the profiles of men I had everyone look at, and he thought about how no one mentioned anything about seeing his file. I'm sure, at first, he assumed that I had omitted him because he was on the team." he frowned. "but after that little incident, he probably began to question that. He's intelligent – like I said before."

Ellie swallowed, suddenly feeling guilty. He had risked his investigation on her behalf. Hadn't he? He probably didn't mean to, though. She kept telling herself that it didn't justify his actions of using her as bait, even though every part of her was screaming to forgive him when he had not even apologized.

One thing she couldn't understand, though. Why? Why did he intervene on her behalf? Clearly, this man had no qualms whatsoever in using anyone to achieve his goal; so why had he done anything? He simply could have sat there as he always does, saying absolutely nothing. He had intended to use her as bait, and as he said, he could have let her go to that concert with Peterson...and when he attempted to _hurt _her, he would have enough evidence to at least make an arrest. So, _why_ hadn't he?

She sighed and he turned his head to her at the sound.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"What are you asking?" he asked, his voice monotone as ever.

"Why did you intervene? I mean, as you said yourself, you were using me as bait. That was an opportunity to catch the criminal, and it doesn't seem like you to just let that opportunity go." she said quietly, looking down at her lap. "So, _why_ did you?"

She waited for what felt like an eternity. What did she expect him to say? That he actually cared about her well being? That, in itself, was laughable. Of course he didn't. He probably intervened because he didn't want to deal with her brother, or maybe it would have spoiled his reputation. After all, he was the genius, not her. Perhaps letting her go would have caused the case more problems than she knew. She was sure his reason was selfish, so she really wasn't even sure she _did_ want to know.

As she was about to change the subject, feeling that he wasn't even going to answer, he spoke.

"I don't know." he said blankly, making her look up at him with a slightly shocked expression. "I've asked myself the same question, actually."

She stared at him with wide eyes, contemplating her next words. Well, it wasn't exactly an answer most would hope to hear, but it wasn't really _that_ harsh. Most normal people would say that they did it so she wouldn't get hurt, even if they didn't mean it. It was the normal response to a question like that – but clearly, L was anything but normal. He was a liar, but at the same exact time, he was brutally honest. He was a complete contradiction. A brutally honest liar.

"I'm still mad at you," she said hatefully, making sure her point got across before she continued. "But what you did – I mean, how you intervened. You had a choice and you chose the right thing. I just-" she looked away. "Thank you."

He was silent and she was sure her heart was going to burst from her chest. She didn't dare face him.

"You're welcome." he said lowly, making her turn to look at him.

He was still perched, and he looked at her with no expression – as usual. Her face tinted pink, and she suddenly wanted to change the subject desperately.

"What about Evans?" she blurted.

"He has been notified," he said, apparently not noticing her discomfort at all. "He's out looking for him right now."

"Is he okay?" she asked. He had been close to Peterson, and she was sure he was extremely upset.

_'Poor Evans...' _she frowned.

"I wouldn't know." he responded, picking up his tea cup.

_'Nor would you care.' _she finished inside her head.

She sighed and pulled out her phone.

"His phone is off." L informed her, making her head snap to look at him. What, did he read minds now?

_'Stupid, genius person.' _she thought to herself as she ignored him and started to call her brother. After what had happened to their parents, her brother didn't deserve this. She needed to know that he'd be okay.

He said nothing as she put the phone to her ear—but merely watched.

_'Hey, this is Johnny. Leave me a message, and I'll consider calling you back.' _Ellie rolled her eyes at his silly message.

"Johnny? Its me." she said, feeling uncomfortable as L listened in. "Um, its been a while and I just wanted to see if you're okay...I mean, I'm starting to get worried. Call me back, okay? I love you."

She sighed again as he pressed the end button. Looking up at L, she stared back at him as he watched her, becoming more irritated by the second.

"What?" she snapped, unable to take his penetrating gaze anymore.

He said nothing, and continued to stare at her.

"Ugh, stop looking at me!" she said, scrunching her nose at him. "I'm stuck here with you for God knows how long, and I don't want to spend it with you sitting there staring at me and...not _blinking__—_It creeps me out!"

He, apparently, wasn't bothered by her little rant at all. He just looked at her, and brought his tea to his lips. She would think he was doing this on purpose, if he actually had a sense of humor; which he had already proved that he did not.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help?" she asked reluctantly, seeing that he wasn't going to stop and trying to fill the silence.

"At this point, I don't believe so," L answered. "it is not my job to run after criminals. My job is to solve the case, and it appears to be solved. However, my deductive assistance may still be required if more crimes are committed by him."

She needed to do something, anything, to keep her mind off worrying about her brother.

"Do you have a three-sixty or anything?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.

He blankly stared at her.

_'WHY am I surprised?'_ she thought, rolling her eyes.

"An Xbox three-sixty,' she said slowly. "You know, a gaming system...people play it to have this thing called, '_fun_' and-"

"I know what an Xbox three-sixty is," he cut her off. "No, I don't own one. I do not care for video games."

"Why?" she asked instantly. If she could keep him talking, maybe the time would pass by quicker.

"They are pointless, and are too predictable," he said lowly. "Not to mention—a complete waste of time when there are so many other things to be done."

"You're such a stick in the mud." she grumbled, crossing her arms. The only game related thing she'd ever see him owning – would probably be a chess set or something equally boring. "You don't listen to music, you don't play games, and you probably don't watch movies either...Good Lord, how do you survive?"

"I have a chess and checkers set," he said, setting down his tea. "I prefer chess, but I'm afraid that is as far as it goes when games are concerned."

She was silent for moments, then burst into laughter. He looked at her, seeming shocked for moments.

"That is so you," she laughed. "Of course, I hate chess. So, we have a problem."

"Why?" he asked, seemingly very interested in her all of a sudden.

"Okay, one: it has to be the most _boring_ game on the planet. Two: It makes time pass by so slow...I swear, its almost as bad as monopoly! And three..." she thought for a moment. "Its so _boring_. Did I mention that?"

"Mmm, well," he said, curling his hands on his knees. "I will play a game with you, if you wish it."

She paused. God, she_ hated_ chess. To be frank, she wasn't that good at it either. She was much better at checkers. Either way, she was sure L would beat her. That thought got her slightly irritated. What was the point of playing a game with someone if you knew they would beat you?

She smiled as she thought about playing Mortal Kombat with him. Surely, she would win, and she found herself wishing she had brought her gaming system.

"What's the point? You'll win." she scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Yes, there is a ninety-eight percent chance of that being true."

She glared at him.

"Oh,_ two _percent for little ol' me?" she asked sarcastically, putting her hand on her chest. "I'm oh soflattered, _Harry_."

He bit his thumbnail harshly, staring at her.

"I will play checkers with you, but not chess." she said. "and definitely not poker!"

"Why not?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Why not?!" she repeated. "I couldn't imagine trying to play something like that with you, as expressionless as you are!"

He opened his mouth to respond, but his phone started ringing. She watched as he immediately answered in his weird way.

"Yesss?" he said, putting his thumb to his mouth.

"I see." he said after a moments pause, and he glanced over at her.

She stared, shocked, when he started speaking another language with ease. She wasn't certain, but she thought he was speaking...Russian? Why would he switch languages if it was only Watari? The only thing that came to mind was that he didn't want her to hear what he was saying, and that ticked her off.

She glared at him and crossed her arms, waiting for him to finish.

He stopped speaking and closed his phone, looking over at her.

"So, are you going to tell me what you didn't want me to hear?" she asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

His face twitched, as though he was going to smile as he looked at her.

"How very observant of you," he said quietly. "but no, that would defeat the purpose of using another language."

"How do you know I _don't_ know Russian?" she snapped.

_'Is that amusement in his eyes?' _she thought, shocked as she swore she saw a flicker in his dark orbs.

"Clearly, you don't if you can't tell the difference between Russian—and Portuguese."

She glared at him, scrunching her nose. "Oh, you were speaking Portuguese?"

He simply nodded at her irritated expression.

"How many languages do you know anyway?" she asked, suddenly curious and choosing to ignore her language error. Besides, how we she supposed to know?

"Mmm," he paused, staring at her intently as he rattled off each language. "English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German, French, Russian, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Latin, Spanish, Italian, and Swedish."

Her mouth dropped down further and further with every language he listed.

"What?! How can you know that many languages?" she asked indecorously. "I'm surprised your head hasn't exploded!"

"I simply find languages easy to learn." he said, picking up the tea pot and pouring more tea in his cup.

"I just don't see how its possible to learn that many languages by-" she paused. "wait, how old _are_ you?"

"Twenty four." he answered, staring at the wall. She started to wonder if she was annoying him.

"Am I annoying you?" she asked in spite of herself.

He tore his eyes away from the wall, and began watching her in silence.

_'Okay, I'll take that as a 'yes'" _she thought, somewhat sadly to herself.

"Surprisingly, no." he admitted, looking up at the ceiling with his finger on his lips.

"Why is that surprising?" she asked with a frown.

"Well, usually I find incessant questioning quite annoying."

"Right..." she said, rolling her eyes. Well, at least he was honest.

They fell into silence again, and she shifted nervously, trying to think of something else they could discuss. Her mind was still reeling from the fact that he knew fourteen languages was just...insane. She thought of herself as an intelligent person, but she knew she did not have to mental capacity to learn almost twenty languages.

She looked over at him, watching him eat another piece of cake as he sat perched on his chair. He truly was the epitome of what someone would call a 'mad genius'. Her eyes traveled down his clothes, and she tilted her head, wondering if they were designer like the ones he had gotten Watari to buy her. They surely didn't seem like it. His white shirt was baggy, hiding his slim figure—and it was pretty wrinkled. She didn't see him ironing anyway, and almost snorted at the thought. His pants were regular blue jeans that appeared to be a few sizes too big for him, just like his shirt. They seemed like regular clothes, and she highly doubted they were designer like the ones she had on. L clearly did not care for his appearance. His wild hair down to his baggy jeans proved that completely. She started to wonder if he even brushed his hair as she stared at it. It didn't _look_ matted. Actually, it looked fairly shiny and clean. Perhaps his hair merely stuck up that way naturally? Her eyes wandered around his unruly locks before going down to his face.

_'He has very nice skin,' _she thought to herself as she eyed his pale complexion. Clearly, he didn't get out in the sun very often...if at all. She couldn't see any blemish of any sort. Not one acne scar – nothing. Obviously, he never had acne as a teenager. She also didn't see any hair, or any shadow of it. It was odd, seeing as he didn't care for his appearance to keep that close of a shave. Perhaps he didn't even grow hair on his face? But surely he did. He was a twenty-four year old man, after all.

Her eyes trailed up to his nose. It was small, but still evenly matched his face. Her eyes settled on his dark orbs, and she felt goose bumps rise on her arms. Never before had she seen eyes like his. Were they really completely black? She stared hard at his eyes that watched his cake, trying to make out another color. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw a steel-grey color around his large pupils. It was hard to notice from a distance, though, and he clearly always kept a distance from people. It was unusual. She had seen blue-grey eyes...but never the steel-grey of his orbs. It seemed that unusual things were built straight into his DNA.

Frowning, she looked at the dark circles under his eyes. Once, she had stayed up for three days straight when she went to a concert with a friend...even then, her eyes weren't nearly _that_ dark. The man must _never_ sleep.

_'As smart as he is, he clearly doesn't care about his health too much,' _she thought, thinking about all his sweets and complete and utter disregard for sleep.

His black eyes snapped to hers, clearly feeling her stare on him. Her eyes widened and she slightly blushed at being caught staring. She immediately looked away guiltily, praying silently to herself that he wouldn't take her staring the wrong way. She was simply observing him – that was all.

_'Say something...quickly...' _she thought to herself, turning redder as she felt his hard stare bore into the side of her face.

"How much were these clothes?" she asked suddenly, breaking the silence. "I'd like to try to pay Watari back."

She bit her lip and forced her eyes to look over at him again. He was staring at her, his thumbnail in his mouth. He was clearly thinking hard as his dark eyes looked calculating.

_'Since when can I read his...non-existent expressions?' _she thought to herself._ 'Clearly, I've been around him long enough to notice slight changes, and I know the look in his eyes when he's thinking...that's all' _she resolved to herself.

She knew he wasn't thinking hard about her question, and he was obviously thinking about why she was staring at him so intently. She had half a mind to smack herself in the face.

"Watari didn't pay for them," he said dryly. "I did."

"Well, how much were these clothes?" she repeated. "I'll pay _you_ back."

"Not necessary." he said blankly. "It can be a birthday present, if you wish it."

"...You're not going to let me, are you?" she asked, pulling on her shorts in an attempt to make them longer.

"No," he said simply. "Besides, I do not believe you have the funds to give me two thousand, three hundred and twenty-seven dollars," he tapped his chin as her mouth fell open. "and eighty-two cents."

"WHAT?!" she screeched, jumping up and lifting her arms to look down at her clothes.

_'I knew Dolce & Gabbana were expensive, but that is just ridiculous!' _she thought, looking down at the clothes in shock.

"My prom dress didn't even cost anywhere near _half _that!" she said, her eyes wide.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he stared at her frazzled expression.

"That's just-" he shook her head, sitting down. "You could have gotten me something from Wal-Mart...or even-" she pointed to his clothes. "I'd wear that! This was completely unnecessary!"

He tilted his head, saying nothing as he observed her.

"Yes, the underwear alone cost eighty-five dollars." he mused, tapping his chin.

Her mouth fell open and she immediately flushed. How could he just sit there and causally mention..._panties_ with a girl, and not feel any embarrassment?

"How odd," he said, changing the subject as she stared at him. "Most women would be ecstatic if someone gave them designer clothes-"

"I'm thankful!" she cut in quickly. "I just—I feel guilty. I feel like I wasted a bunch of money because I decided to jump in a pool!"

"It is not a problem." he said with finality. "There's no reason to lose your head."

"Okay, well," she sighed. "Thank you – but for future reference, if this ever happens again...for the sake of my guilt," she looked away. "reasonably priced clothes, please?"

"If you wish." he said, turning away and looking uninterested, as he did about almost everything.

'_Hey, don't you wanna go down?_

_Like some junkie cosmonaut?_

_A __million miles below their feet._

_A million miles, a million miles..__.__'_

Ellie jumped violently as her phone started ringing, fumbling to pick it up and answer it as quickly as possible. In her haste, she dropped it in the floor. She cursed under her breath as she reached down, trying to answer as quickly as possible – her face red as she felt L watching her every move.

_'__I'll be with you girl, like being low._

_Hey, hey, hey, __like being stoned...__'_

She forgot her momentary embarrassment as she saw it was her brother.

"Hello?!" she answered quickly, jumping off the couch and ignoring L's calculating stare.

_'Hey, sweetie.' _came her brothers wary voice.

"Hey! Are you okay?" she exclaimed, twisting her hair and pacing in front of the couch.

_'No, not really,' _he answered sadly. _'I'm with Evans now. Apparently, he talked Evans into dropping him off and to go get them something to eat...Anyway, he was gone when Evans returned, and he made sure he wasn't seen.' _

"Oh, I see," Ellie sighed. "Well...a-are you coming back? S-soon?" she asked, her eyes flicking over to L, seeing that she had his undivided attention. How _rude. _He could at least _pretend _he wasn't eavesdropping! She glared at him, and he just stared back.

_'__I'm not sure, Ellie,__'_Johnny sighed. '_He still has to be in the area, and we want to catch him before he escapes. You're fine there with Matthew and Watari, aren't you?__'_

"I could catch a cab home?" Ellie asked hopefully, glancing at L momentarily.

_'__No, I don't want you there alone while he's on the loose.__' _Johnny said sternly. '_He knows where we live, __and its better if you just stay put until I come to get you.'_

Ellie groaned. She _knew_ he was going to say that...What in the _world _was she supposed to do? Have a sleepover here?!

"Okay, well," she sighed. "I don't want to intrude on them...I mean, I could go to a friends-"

"You're welcome to stay here until your brother retrieves you, Miss Lafleur." L voiced suddenly, making her jump slightly at the volume of his voice. Usually, he was very quiet. He clearly did that so her brother would hear.

_'See? Matthew said it was fine.' _Johnny said. _'Besides, I'd feel safer if you were with a detective, not at your friends house. That hotel is the last place he would go.' _

Ellie sighed, looking over at L. He was now picking at a piece of cake, clearly losing interest in her conversation.

"Okay, if that's what you feel is best." she said in a low voice, wanting more than ever to be able to tell him about what L did – with using her as bait and all.

_'Okay, sweetie, I promise to be back as soon as I can...Try not to drive Matthew and Watari crazy,' _he laughed._ 'I love you.' _

Ellie scowled into the phone. "I love you too – bye."

She pressed the 'end' button on her phone, placing it in her pocket.

"Was your ring tone this, 'Avenged Sevenfold' band?"

Ellie turned her head, looking at L and seeing that he was watching her again with his finger on his lip.

"No, it was a band called, 'Cracker'." she responded. "Maybe you'd like them, after all, they have a food name, don't they?" she smirked and went to sit down on the couch.

"Mmm, no, I don't think so." he responded, looking away and picking at his cake again.

"So, you don't like any music?" she asked, picking at her shorts.

"I can tolerate it." he said simply, barely moving his lips.

"That may be so, but that isn't what I asked you." Ellie said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes at his vague answer.

L turned his face over to her, and she felt like he was studying her as he decided whether or not to answer.

"No." he said simply, barely moving his lips.

"If you can't tell, I'm deeply shocked." she said sarcastically, looking bored as she picked at her nails.

"Do you smoke Marijuana?"

Ellie's eyes bugged out of her head as she whipped her head back up to stare at him. He was watching her with a hard stare, as though he was prepared to catch her in a lie.

"_What?!_" she asked, shaking her head.

"You heard me." he said in a low voice, placing his hands on his knees and angling his body towards her.

Irritation swept through her. Why the hell was he interrogating her?

"None of your damn business." she spat, crossing her arms.

"I'll take it then that you do." he said in confirmation, nodding his head and looking away.

"Then you'd be wrong." she snapped, uncrossing her arms. "Of course I don't do something like that! Why the hell did you ask me that anyway?"

"The song." he said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? My _ring tone_?" she asked indecorously. "Its a catchy song! I listen to songs about sex, but that doesn't mean I-" she trailed off in horror as she caught herself.

He hadn't changed expressions, and was merely watching her the same.

"I-er, you know what I mean," she blubbered, cursing the non-existent filter from her brain to her mouth.

"Subconsciously, you want to, or you wouldn't enjoy listening to things that talk about it," he said monotonously. "It's the same for people that read. People generally don't read a book on their own if they do not have some interest in the contents."

Her mouth gaped slightly at him. Did he seriously just insinuate that she subconsciously wanted to smoke weed and have sex?

"That is not true," she snapped, unable to stop the flames from erupting on her cheeks. "The song may just have a good beat."

He stared at her as though she was speaking another language.

"A good beat..." he repeated slowly, looking contemplative.

"You know...its catchy-" she said, not sure how to explain a good beat. "It pleases you to hear it—makes you want to sing, you know? Stuff like that."

He stared at her. "You didn't sing when your ring tone played."

Ellie's mouth twitched, and she started laughing.

_'Its like he's a martian from another planet!' _she thought to herself, laughing even harder as he stared at her with his blank expression.

"Well, I don't sing _all_ the time," she laughed. "Just when I feel like it...Just because I don't sing every time the song plays, it doesn't mean I don't enjoy it! Besides, I'm not going to sing in front of you!"

He bit down on his nail harshly. "Why not?"

"I'll sing in front of you, right after you sing in front of me." she smirked, raising her eyebrow, knowing she had won.

"What makes you so sure I cannot sing?" he asked lowly, tilting his head down.

"I didn't say you _couldn't_, per-say," she smiled, finding she was enjoying herself. "More that you _wouldn't_."

"I see." he said, picking up his tea cup.

An idea popped into her head.

"Do you want to hear what Avenged Sevenfold sounds like?" she asked happily, more than ready to let him listen to her favorite band.

He looked over at her, putting his thumb in his mouth.

"I suppose that would be alright."

She smiled and pulled out her phone, skimming through her music library.

_'I better make it one of their slow songs...I don't think he'd warm up to the heavier stuff.' _she thought, twisting her hair and bringing her legs up underneath her.

_'It shouldn't matter whether he likes it or not – but its my favorite band! I want everyone to like them!' _she resolved to herself, deciding on, 'Seize the Day.' The song brought up some happy memories with her...but also, some sad ones. It had been the only song by the band her mother had liked, so she had played it around her a lot and they'd sing it together...

She shook her head, pushing the memories back.

"Okay, I don't want to traumatize you with the heavy stuff," she smirked. "This is one of their slower songs and its called, 'Seize the Day.' - and by the way, you have to like it or I'm never speaking to you again!" she laughed.

He merely stared at her, biting his thumb.

She pressed, 'play', smiling as the smooth acoustic beginning started.

_Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost  
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over_

I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time  
But I'm too young to worry  
These streets we travel on will undergo our same lost past

She looked up at him, looking for any reaction at all. She was let down slightly when she saw the same expressionless stare, and the biting of his thumb.

_I found you here, now please just stay for a while  
I can move on with you around  
I hand you my mortal life, but will it be forever?  
I'd do anything for a smile, holding you 'til our time is done  
We both know the day will come, but I don't want to leave you _

She smiled down at her phone. She'd always thought this song was so sweet and meaningful. Her mother, who had hated rock, even liked it! How could you not be touched by this song? How could he possibly not like it? Glancing up at him, she saw his expression had not changed. He was just staring at her.

_I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time  
But I'm too young to worry_

_a melody, a memory, or just one picture_

_Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost  
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over_

_Newborn life replacing all of us, changing this fable we live in_  
_No longer needed here so where do we go?_  
_Will you take a journey tonight, follow me past the walls of death?_  
_But girl, what if there is no eternal life?_

_I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time  
But I'm too young to worry_

_a melody, a memory, or just one picture_

_Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost_  
_It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over_

_Trials in life, questions of us existing here, don't wanna die alone without you here  
Please tell me what we have is real _

The guitar solo started, and she looked up at him again. He seemed to have moved slightly, as he was leaning towards her, looking calculating again. Apparently, she had done something more interesting than the song itself.

She frowned. He wasn't supposed to be be studying her! He was supposed to be listening to this amazing song!

_So, what if I never hold you, yeah, or kiss your lips again?  
Woooaaah, so I never want to leave you, and the memories of us to see  
I beg don't leave me..._

Her eyes bugged, and she turned red again. Perhaps she had forgotten that little verse, and suddenly, the atmosphere seemed way too personal for her liking. With him leaning towards her, staring at her intently, and the slightly personal lyrics...her heart started jumping. Of course, she knew that it wasn't_ that_ way at all. He was just being his creepy, investigative self...but still, it felt odd.

She stared into his eyes, noticing that steel-Grey circle once more. Why were his eyes so intense? She found herself unable to look away. It was as if she was drowning in the darkness, or perhaps hypnotized – or was she just waiting for him to blink? She didn't know anymore as she met his stare head-on.

_Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost  
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over_

Trials in life, questions of us existing here, don't wanna die alone without you here  
Please tell me what we have is real...

She kept staring at his eyes, and he had yet to blink. At least, she hadn't caught it. Why was he _looking_ at her like this?

_Silence you lost me, no chance for one more day_

_Silence you lost me, no chance for one more day  
_

_I stand here alone  
Falling away from you, no chance to get back home  
_

_I stand here alone  
Falling away from you, no chance to get back home..._

The song abruptly ended, snapping her out of her trance. To her complete horror, she had angled her upper body towards him. She looked down at her phone, her face heating up again and her heart pattering away in her chest.

_'Maybe he didn't notice?' _she thought to herself. _'You're an idiot if you believe that.' _she scowled at the voice in her head. Still feeling his stare on her, her heart beat even faster.

"S-so...um, did you like it?" she tried to ask in a casual tone, but she knew she was failing miserably.

He didn't answer for moments, and she unwillingly glanced up at him through her eyelashes. He'd retreated back into his seat, his hands on his knees, looking at her blankly.

"It wasn't horrible." he said in a low voice, his dark eyes wide as ever.

She swallowed thickly, and brought her head up to look at him.

"Your mood changes very abruptly when you listen to music." he stated suddenly. "It was very apparent."

She was tempted to roll her eyes. So, _that's_ why he had been staring at her like that. He was fascinated at the effect it had on her. Was there ever a time in his life that he wasn't studying something? Couldn't he just enjoy something because it was pleasant?

"Yes, that songs makes me happy, but it makes me sad at the same time." she said quietly, looking down at her phone.

"Those are two contradicting emotions."

She brought her eyes up to look at him. How could he not understand something as simple as emotions? It was basic human nature for God's sake. Did he not even have emotions? It sure did seem that way with how he was speaking to her.

"You can feel multiple emotions at once," she said quietly. "As you should know, not everything is black and white – there are always gray areas."

He stared at her, seeming to be in thought.

"How does it make you feel two conflicting emotions at once?" he asked lowly, wide eyes staring.

"I can't explain it," she said quickly. "It – I just do, okay? Sometimes you can't explain feelings with words."

"Does it have to do with your parents?"

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"E-excuse me?" she asked in a quiet voice, raising her eyebrows at him. That was very _blunt _of him. She wasn't even sure why she was surprised.

"You parents," he repeated. "James and Eleanor Lafleur. They died three years ago in an automobile accident, on their way to pick-up you from your friends house." he paused. "If my files are correct."

Her heart dropped in her stomach. D-did he think it was her fault too?

"Do you think its my fault?!" she raised her voice, standing up sharply and marching up to him.

His eyes widened momentarily, but he regained his expressionless face once again.

"No, you were not present," he said lowly. "How could it be your fault?"

"Because it was!" she spat, her heart racing as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Elaborate?" he asked in a low voice, watching her intently.

Her heart started beating erratically. If Johnny was here, he'd be infuriated at what she said. He had told her for years that it wasn't her fault, but she couldn't help but to think that maybe he only said that because he loved her...Just like all her friends and family. Of course they wouldn't tell her it was really her fault if they thought that...If anyone could give her an honest opinion, it would be L, wouldn't it? He was a genius...and he sure as hell wouldn't lie to protect her feelings like Johnny, her friends, or her family would. Hell, even a complete stranger would probably say it wasn't her fault. But should she even open up to L in that way? After all, she barely knew him...but then again, he already knew about her past. Obviously, he had looked up her background before meeting her. Probably as a security precaution. She didn't really like talking about it – but she couldn't shake her need to know his opinion.

"I-" she trailed off, looking at him and trying to calm her racing thoughts. "I-they...I asked them too." she said lowly, backing towards the couch and sitting down, looking at her hands in her lap.

"Asked them to pick you up?" he confirmed, tilting his head and putting his thumb in his mouth.

"Yes," she looked down at her lap again. "I-I wanted to come home...I was being a brat," she frowned. "My friend was having a sleep over, and I got into an argument with her—I wouldn't stay. They said they'd pick me up in the morning, but I wouldn't have that. I wanted to come home, so I threw a fit..." tears fell down her cheeks as she hid her face from him, ashamed at what he must think of her.

"I waited for hours...They didn't come after they said they would, and I was _mad_ at them." she lifted her head to look at him. "I was so mad..." her voice broke. "They were dying, and I was _angry_ at them!"

He watched her with blank eyes, leaning his head closer to her, balancing on his feet.

"If I had just _listened_ to them," she sniffed. "If I hadn't been such a brat and had just _waited_...A drunk driver in an SUV wouldn't have run them off that bridge. They'd be alive if it wasn't for me, and I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry..." she trailed off, pulling her legs up to her chest and burying her face in her knees.

This was it, this was where her worst suspicion would be confirmed by a genius. He would tell her it was her fault—she just knew it.

"It wasn't your fault."

Immediately, she jerked her head up to look at him in disbelief.

"W-what? How can you say that?" she blubbered, shocked. "You're the genius here, you should know-"

"I do know," he interrupted, tilting his head down. "It wasn't you fault."

She opened her mouth, but words failed her and she merely stared at him.

He stood suddenly, causing her to flinch slightly at his abrupt movement. He shuffled over to her, and stood – hunched over in front of her. He looked down at her, his hands shoved in his pockets. She looked up at him with big eyes, not really sure what to think.

"You are a human being," he said lowly. "You could have never have known that a drunk driver would run your parents off a bridge. To be at fault, you had to have an involvement. Yes, you had your parents come to get you, but that is an irrelevant fact—You did not cause their death. The drunk driver caused their death, and no one is to blame but him."

She stared up at him in surprise. Of course, she had heard that before, but she had doubted their sincerity. Then again, L was a liar...but he was a brutally honest liar. What reason did he have to lie to her now? None. He wasn't blinded by love or pity as others were. He simply stated what he believed to be cold, hard facts.

He really didn't believe it was her fault. As she looked up into his dark eyes, she somehow knew he meant it.

Without thinking, she launched up at him, wrapping her arms around his hunched back and clutching him to her in gratitude.

She felt him go rigid as a board in her arms, but she didn't care.

"Your opinion isn't blinded by love for me," she said quietly over his shoulder. "Thank you."

A pleasant smell entered her nose, and she realized it was _him... _He smelled of sweets and coffee. She detected the smell of hotel soap, but it was still very pleasant. It was unusual to hug a man and not smell the musky smell of aftershave or cologne.

He was still rigid in her arms, and his hands were still in his pockets – not even attempting to return her surprising hug.

Sensing his extreme discomfort, she sighed and pulled away, only to see him staring at her with even larger eyes than usual.

"Sorry..." she mumbled, backing away and sitting on the couch once again.

"Yes, well." he cleared his throat, and she watched, amused, as he shuffled backwards and back into his chair. He perched back into his usual place, his face and eyes falling back into their usual expression.

"Do you want to be friends?" she asked, slightly smiling and wiping her eyes as shock flashed across his face momentarily.

"Friends?" he repeated slowly.

"Yeah, we can be friends—can't we?" she asked, wondering if he'd actually tell her no.

_'He definitely would be rude enough to say something like that.' _she thought, having regret at even asking him that question.

"I have never had a friend before." he said in the same low voice. To her surprise, though, it wasn't in a sad voice. If she ever admitted something like that, she knew she'd never be able to hide the sadness that would come from it. But clearly, he didn't feel any sadness from it. He was simply stating a fact, and apparently, no emotions went with that fact.

"Well, I'll be your first friend!" she smiled, nodding her head. She was grateful for his opinion – even though it probably meant nothing to him, it meant something to her. In that case, she _supposed _she was willing to give him a second chance. As long as he never dangled her as bait in front of a rapist, serial killer again.

Anger flooded in her veins as she reminded herself. She took a deep breath, and pushed it down. It wouldn't do to get all worked up again about it. She'd already slapped him, and she found herself almost regretting it. _Almost, _but not quite.

"I suppose." he said dryly, clearly not enthused by the idea.

"Great!" she exclaimed, jumping up. "_Now_, where's that checkers set?"

* * *

**A/N: Ah, some of Ellie's past! Let me know what you think :) **

**Also, the songs I used:**

**Ellie's Ringtone: Cracker-Low  
**

**Avenged Sevenfold-Seize the Day**


	6. Chapter Six

**A/N: Okay, this is another L/Ellie centric chapter. I'm doing this for a reason. Too many times, I have read stories about L with an OC...and it skips them getting to know each other, and jumps right to the romance. For a change, I wanted to actually show and establish their interactions. In many stories, it'll say *Two weeks later*, or L will have known her since childhood at Wammy's. Don't get me wrong, I've loved most of the L/OC stories I have read, but I wanted to try a different approach. I want to show them getting to know each other, their conversations, and basically...most of the time they spend together. I do not intend to skip forward by weeks, but I may do it _after_ their actual relationship is established. Not while they're getting to know each other. I think its important to see how it progresses. Hope that's not a problem for anyone, and on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. Shocked? I can tell.**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

* * *

Ellie watched as Watari set up the checkers set in between her and L. She had said she would do it, but Watari had insisted. The checkers set was made of glass, and she had picked red and L had gotten black.

"Thank you, Watari." L said as he sat perched in the floor across the table.

"Of course, Matthew." Watari said, giving a little bow and exited the room.

Ellie rolled her eyes and pulled her legs underneath her on the floor.

"I'm surprised he doesn't bathe and feed you." Ellie joked, lifting an eyebrow at him and laughing.

He stared at her stoically.

She immediately stopped laughing and stared at him with big eyes.

"He bathes you?!" she yelped, somewhat horrified and more than a little creeped out.

"No, Miss Lafleur." L responded in an irritated voice, biting his thumb nail. "Now, shall we play? Or would you rather we continue discussing my bathing ritual?"

Ellie flushed and looked down at the checkers set in embarrassment.

_'Did he somewhat joke with me?' _she thought to herself, a little astounded. It _seemed_ that way, but he was so damn indifferent about everything it was nearly impossible to tell.

"Hmm, he who strikes first, always wins." L mumbled, looking at the checkers board and lifting his hand to move a piece.

She watched, amused, as he lifted it with his pointer and thumb – like everything else.

"In that case, I should win everything with you," she said, smirking as he looked at her dully. "After all, I'm pretty sure I struck you first a few hours ago."

He didn't reply, and watched her with an impassive expression.

"Have you always been to stolid?" she asked, looking down at the board – hesitantly moving a piece that was far away from his. He wasn't going to beat her quickly, if she had anything to do with it.

"Perhaps."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't look up at him. She watched as his nimble fingers plucked another piece quickly, moving the one closest to the one she had moved.

She frowned. "Don't start creepin' on me!"

She looked up at him, jutting her bottom lip out and glaring at him. Of course, he remained stoic.

"I'm doing no such thing," he said dully. "I am simply playing the game – as I am supposed to do."

"You're still creeping." she said, looking down at the board. She had never thought about her moves in checkers this much in her life. But she knew, one wrong move, and with her luck...he'd probably take out all her pieces in one fail swoop. It was like she was playing with a computer – a computer that was set on expert difficulty.

She put her finger on a piece, and glanced up him. Of course, he was watching her moves impassively. She didn't know why she expected any different. Feeling less confident, she bit her lip and moved her finger away and to another piece.

Glancing up at him again, she kept her eyes on him as she hesitantly moved the piece.

She looked at him, shocked, when she swore she saw amusement pass through his eyes at her antics.

"I did something wrong, didn't I?" she asked, looking down at the board, searching for any possible moves from his side.

"I don't know," he said dead-pan. "Did you?"

She looked up at him, seeing his face as blank as ever. Was he joking with her? But he said he didn't joke!

"Urgh, you're impossible," she said, rolling her eyes. "You know that, right?"

"Yes, I have heard that before." he said, appearing to not care at all.

She watched as he quickly moved another one of his pieces. Frowning, she had a feeling he already had every move planned out in his mind.

"I'm not going to win, am I?" she said, slightly smiling and trying to relax as she moved her other piece. It wasn't likely, seeing as she wasn't aiming to trap him – but more of running from him; which wasn't going to make her win. She couldn't help it, though.

"The possibility is not zero." he said, moving another piece quickly.

She glanced up at him, then looked back at the board. She stared in shock at the fact that he had somehow _already_ managed to trap one of her pieces. If she stayed still, he'd get two pieces. If she moved either way, he'd get one, and if he moved one of his pieces, she'd get one of his too. She had a feeling he wouldn't make that mistake, though. Either way, she was going to lose at least one piece.

She brought her eyes up to him, seeing a knowing look on his face. She glared.

"I don't like losing." she admitted, sighing as she moved her poor first piece.

"It is human nature to prefer not to lose." he responded, quickly reaching towards the piece she _didn't_ want him to pick, and quickly jumping her piece – plucking it off the board.

"Yes, well, I don't. But I won't cheat or anything like that." she said, putting her elbow on the table, propping her chin on her hand and moving her next piece. "What's fair is fair."

"Not even to win?" he asked, taking her off guard. "What if it was of utmost importance?"

She looked up at him, slightly shocked at seeing him staring at her inquisitively.

"I-I'm not sure," she said. "If its life or death...I suppose I would make an exception. There are more important things than winning. But in general-" she frowned. "I try to be as fair as possible – don't you?"

He bit his thumb, appearing to be contemplating his response.

"If it means being able to clear a case, I don't play fair. I'm a dishonest, cheating human being who hates losing." he said bluntly, watching her face closely.

She raised her eyebrows. Well, _that_ wasn't exactly something she'd ever admit to anyone, even if she _did_ feel that way about people – which she didn't. Obviously, L didn't care what she – or anyone else thought of him.

"Tell me something I don't know," she said, feeling unusually sad at his response. "You do realize you're talking to the bait, don't you? I've already established that you're a liar—You don't have to tell me that."

"Then why do you wish to be my friend?" he asked quickly.

She smiled as she realized that he clearly had been wanting to ask that question before, but had merely waited for the opportunity to arise.

"I was always taught there is some good in everybody," she shrugged, looking down. "Everyone should have at least one friend, at some point in their life."

"That is very naïve," L said tonelessly, making her look up at him. "I have seen pure evil, Miss Lafleur. Clearly, you have not – or you wouldn't be making such statements." he tilted his head down, staring at her intensely. "There are monsters in this world. Monsters that are evil to the core. They do not seek redemption, because they do not want it. They feel no remorse, because they are not even capable of it. They completely lack empathy of any kind. If you're going to survive in this world, I suggest you stop believing that there's always good in others."

"It sounds as though you're trying to convince me that I should assume everyone is evil until proven otherwise," she said, crossing her arms. "That is a very sad way to look at the world, L-Harry."

"And what of Peterson?" he asked dully. "Do you believe he has good in him?"

"Yes, I do."

Apparently, he hadn't expected that answer as shocked flitted across his face.

"He wanted to hurt you, Miss Lafleur. I assure you of that."

Ellie sighed, looking away from him. How could she explain this? Of course, she didn't think _anything_ excused Peterson's actions. He clearly was a monster, but she had seen him show genuine kindness before. He wasn't born evil, he became that way.

"No one is born evil," Ellie said, looking over at him. "Its their lives that make them that way. Peterson use to be a good man. He was helpful, and he was caring. It all boils down to one thing..." she looked away from him. "Its about love. It _always_ goes back to love. Peterson loved his wife, and she betrayed him. Of course, its no excuse for his actions, but love pushed him to that point. Love can either make you or break you...and in Peterson's case, it broke him."

L chewed on his thumb nail, watching her intently.

"And what of those who have no understanding of the human heart?" he asked dully, tilting his head slightly.

"Then they were never given a chance," she answered instantly. "Perhaps no one tried to make them understand."

"And if it is too late?" he questioned. "What if they do not even possess the ability to love?"

"I believe all people are capable of love," she said, looking down and moving a checkers piece that had been momentarily forgotten. "Even if they haven't found a person they could love, they can love other things – and anyone capable of love can be saved."

He watched her, continuing to bite on his nail. He looked down, and quickly moved his checker piece near hers, but she found that she didn't really care about the game anymore.

"You have too much faith in humanity."

She looked up at him, somewhat startled. He wasn't looking at her, but his dark eyes were focused on the board.

"Maybe so," she said slowly. "But perhaps you don't have enough faith in it."

He looked up at her sharply, and she took a quick intake of breath.

"Love blinds people," he said resolutely. "It blinds them from the truth, and from logic. People that love look at that person through rose colored lens. The idiocy of it all astounds me."

"Its because they care about that person," Ellie said slowly, thinking hard as she looked at him. "It isn't that they can't see the truth, they just aren't as willing to accept the worst of that person."

"What's the point, then?" he asked, watching with dark eyes as she moved another piece. "In the end, the truth stands the same. Whether they want to accept it or not – nothing changes."

"The point is they want to believe that the worst isn't true," she responded. "Its called hope. There's nothing wrong with having hope, it keeps people going."

"Hope is a bad thing. It means that you are not what you want to be. It means that part of you is dead, if not all of you. It means that you entertain illusions." he said darkly, staring at her intently.

Was he implying that people that felt hope were mental? Ellie shook her head. There was so much that he didn't understand. Of course, he _was_ right – to an extent. But when you were having those feelings, then the truth wasn't as black and white as he was painting it.

"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless." Ellie recited, watching him intently. "When you've got nothing left in your life, is it wrong to hope that somehow and in someway it'll get better? If it is, then that means you have nothing left to live for and no one should think that about their lives. Bad things happen to good people, but that doesn't mean they should give up because their future looks bleak."

"Gilbert K. Chesterton." he said simply, watching her with a flat stare.

She smiled softly at him. Of course – genius. "That's right. I'm impressed."

"I won't deny that you have a good argument," he said, ignoring her compliment. "But I regret to say, my views have not changed."

He looked down, and picked up a checkers piece, jumping over three of hers and taking them off the board. Her mouth fell open.

"Ugh, you suck," she said, glaring at him as she jumped over one of his pieces, snatching it off the board in irritation.

"But I'm winning." he said dully, looking down at the board and moving another piece.

"So? You still suck to me right now because I'm losing," she said, smiling at him to show she was joking.

"Mmm." he said, putting his finger in his mouth as he made another unexpected move, jumping one of her pieces. "King." he said, slouching further in his seat and flipping over his piece.

"Oh, and by the way, I know you've never loved before," she said suddenly, jumping over two of his pieces as he visibly tensed in his chair. "I'm sure that will change one day. You're still young."

To her surprise, he didn't look up at her, but continued staring at the board. She started to regret saying that, and her face turned slightly red. After all, she had pretty much said he'd find a girl one day.

"I mean, the greatest detective in the world," she blubbered. "That's impressive. That might be even better than rock star...but maybe that's just me, and I'm a little weird." she laughed awkwardly.

He slowly brought his large eyes up to look at her blankly. Her face reddened a little more against her will, and she stared back at him.

"Yes, I'm sure," he said in a dead-pan voice. "That, and I'm sure my wealth would also be very attractive to many women."

She raised her eyebrows. She hadn't thought of that...Of course, he had proven he was absolutely loaded – and she knew all too well that there were a lot of 'gold digging' women out there.

"Not all women are gold diggers," she said, frowning slightly. "I'm definitely not one. How the hell could someone marry somebody they didn't love – just because they have a lot of money? I'm not spending my life with someone I'm not in love with—regardless of who they are or what they have." The idea was ludicrous to her.

He watched her with expressionless eyes. "I'm sure. But it is not a risk I'm willing to take."

"So, let me get this straight," she said, appearing to deliberate the point. "You're going to miss out on love, happiness, and a family so you can protect your money? There are things more important than money, you know."

"Its not only that," he said dully, putting his hands on his knees. "Did it ever occur to you that I do not want companionship? I like being alone."

She stared at him. She had never seen someone so smart...yet so incredibly stupid at the same time. Why would he deny himself the chance for happiness? Was he really that clueless?

"I like to be by myself," she said, frowning. "But I hate to be alone."

"That's a contradiction." he mused, tapping his chin.

"Not necessarily," she shot back. "It means that, yes, sometimes I want to have some, 'me' time...But to be totally alone, and not have someone that cares about me around – that lonely feeling...I hate it. Do you understand that?"

He looked up at the ceiling for moments, before bringing his gaze back to her.

"I suppose," he said finally. "But I prefer solitude."

"So, you'd rather I wasn't here right now?" she asked, raising her eyebrow jokingly with him. She tried to ignore the pounding of her heart as she asked. Why did it even matter to her?

"No, because I'm sure you'll find a way to get yourself in trouble," he said lowly. "So, I prefer you to be here."

Irritation swept through her and she put her hands on her hips. "I'm not a child!"

"I never said you were, Miss Lafleur." he said calmly.

"Ugh, I know your greatest talents," she snapped. "Solving cases and pissing people off!"

She watched as his mouth twitched as he watched her.

"Yes, most believe me to be exceedingly arrogant." he said calmly, as though this particular piece of information didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Oh, no," she rolled her eyes, "Where ever could they have gotten that impression, I wonder?"

_'I wish I was special_  
_You're so fucking special_

_But I'm a creep_  
_I'm a weirdo_  
_What the hell am I doing here?_  
_I don't belong here...'_

Ellie jumped slightly as her phone went off. She hopped off the floor, going to the couch and picking up her phone. She already knew who it was, seeing as she had set different ring tones for everyone.

"If you answer that, I have to ask you to put it on speaker if its not your brother." L said, seeing her hesitation.

She glared at him. What did Jessica want, anyway? Probably just to prattle on about something unimportant. But Jessica was, if anything, persistent. If she didn't answer, she would blow up her phone until she did. She was just that type of friend.

_'I don't care if it hurts_  
_I want to have control_  
_I want a perfect body_  
_I want a perfect soul_  
_I want you to notice when I'm not around_  
_You're so fucking special_  
_I wish I was special...'_

She groaned out loud, sliding the answer button and hitting the speaker.

"Jessica?"

_'HEY, SWEETIE!'_

Ellie immediately flushed, looking at L and wanting to die on the spot.

"Er—listen I'm a little busy right now," she avoided looking at L. "Can I call you back later?"

_'NO!'_ she yelled, making Ellie jump._ 'I have to tell you something! Its important! Oh my God, you'll never guess who I saw today?!'_

"Um, okay," Ellie said, shaking her head. Jessica was her complete opposite. But, they had been friends since seventh grade, and somehow, it just worked.

"Who did you see?"

_'I saw someone's stalker ex-boyfriend...'_ she said, making Ellie's heart drop as she glanced over at L. She was not going to talk about him in front of L.

"Oh, that's great," Ellie said quickly. "I really have to go, though, I'll call you-"

_'He talked to me, and he asked about you!'_ Jessica cut her off._ 'He was asking me if I thought it was alright if he could call you!'_

Ellie's stomach dropped. "Absolutely not! So help me God, Jessica, if you told him he could-"

_'Relaxxx,'_ Jessica said sarcastically._ 'I told him to call you if he wanted some verbal abuse.'_

Ellie couldn't help but to smile at that.

"What did he say?" she laughed, momentarily forgetting about L snooping in.

_'Oh you know, the usual,'_ Jessica put on a whiny voice. _'I love her...Blah, blah, blah. You can talk to her for me, right? I just want to make things right. You know, the usual full of shit lines.' _

"Classic," Ellie smirked. "He doesn't know what love is. He's just a jerk." she shook her head. "But, really, I have to go...I'll talk to you later, okay?"

_'Alrighty, Love you!' _

"Love you too, crazy." Ellie said, shaking her head as she pressed the 'end' button.

She looked over at L, seeing him staring at her intently. She flushed a little more, and walked up to the table, resuming her position and curling her legs underneath her.

"So..." she said awkwardly. "My turn, right?"

He didn't say anything, and she flushed even brighter as she looked down at the board. After studying it for a few moments, she smiled as she saw a clear move. She picked up her piece, skipping over two of his and picking them off the board.

Apparently, this diverted his attention, and he sharply looked down—seeming shocked for moments as she looked up and smiled sweetly at him.

"Stalker ex-boyfriend?" he asked, still looking at the board as he made his move.

'I knew it!' she thought to herself, slightly panicked. Eric was not someone she wanted to discuss with L.

"Yeah, and?" she asked, trying to seem as uninterested as possible.

"How is he a stalker?" he asked, bringing his gaze to her.

She sighed and moved one of her pieces. Of course, she had told him about her parents...she supposed she could give him an overview. It wasn't like she had to go into extreme detail.

"We broke up, and he's having a hard time letting go..." she shrugged. "A really hard time. He's getting on my nerves."

"Why did you break up?" he asked bluntly, looking down and swiftly skipping over one of her pieces, making her scowl.

"That's a bit of a personal question to ask, don't you think?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

He stared at her with a stony expression. Clearly, he had no respect for personal boundaries.

"He broke up with me." she sighed, hoping he'd drop it.

"Yet he's stalking you?" he said in a bored tone, putting his finger to his mouth.

"Yes."

"Elaborate, please." he questioned, seeming interested all of a sudden.

"Look, he broke up with me, regretted it and I won't take him back." she said resolutely. "That's all there is to it."

"Why did he break up with you?"

"Oh, for the love of _God_!" she exclaimed, putting her face in her hands. "Why don't _you_ call him and ask him?"

"So, you don't know?"

"YES, I know!" she snapped, moving her hands to her hips.

"I thought friends were supposed to confide in each other?" he said dully. "Isn't that what we're doing?"

"Oh, don't try to be manipulative to get what you want with me," she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him.

His face twitched. "So, why did he end your relationship?"

She glared. Clearly, he wasn't going to drop this. Perhaps she could skim the edges, telling him why, then he'd be satisfied and drop it.

"He tried to pressure me into doing something," she said, looking down and trying to appear bored. "I refused, he got mad, and dumped me. Then, he comes back a few days later, begging me to take him back. I didn't, and now he won't go away. He's like a leech. I don't know what I saw in him in the first place, to be honest."

L looked contemplative for moments.

"He wanted to have sexual intercourse, but you refused and he ended the relationship," he confirmed, nodding. "It is a typical occurrence in young adults. It is also normal for a teenage boy to act in such a manner."

Ellie's jaw dropped at his vulgar observation. Her face went into extreme heat as she stared at him. How could he just causally say something like that?! Of course, in the back of her head, her mind was calling her stupid and asking why she was surprised. Still, though, it didn't quite shake the shock whenever he said things like that. But this, was definitely the worst yet.

"E-excuse me?" she squeaked, still unable to believe him.

"Am I wrong?" he mused, apparently not caring that she mortified as well as shocked.

She didn't answer, but merely gaped at him – red as an apple.

"I didn't think so." he said with conviction.

"B-but," she stared. "That is so rude! You can't just...ask me about something_ that_ personal! I mean, I barely know you for God's sake-"

"I was under the impression that we were friends." he cut in.

"W-we are...but, I mean," she sighed. "I told you, stop being manipulating. Friends don't manipulate each other."

He opened his mouth to speak.

"I know!" she cut in. "Friends_ do_ manipulate each other. I should have said, they _shouldn't_. Better?"

He said nothing, but looked down at the board, taking a his king, and jumping all her pieces except one.

Her jaw fell open for moments, but she snapped it shut and glared at him.

He put his thumb to his mouth, his mouth twitching as though he wanted to smile.

"Ugh. If there's a next time, I'm bringing my three-sixty," she said, moving her piece and just letting him take it. "I challenge you to a game of Mortal Kombat."

"Watari is retrieving your things now. He will take them to the new hotel room," L said, standing up swiftly and walking to his chair, perching on top of it. "I'm sure he will bring your game system to give you something to occupy your time."

"W-what?" she asked, stunned.

"You can't go home," he said plainly. "I have advised all of the detectives to stay in a hotel—the same room as me, if needed, until the culprit is caught. Considering the circumstances, I'd say it is quite unsafe to go to your homes."

"So, Evans, my brother, and I are all staying in this room?!" she exclaimed, feeling uncomfortable.

"Evans has a family," L said slowly, reaching forward and pouring himself some tea. "I have offered to pay for a room for him, and he accepted. Your brother, however, did not. He said you both would be fine in the spare room at my suite."

_'Johnny won't take anyone's money,'_ Ellie groaned, being irritated at her brother. She was uncomfortable taking money, but in this circumstance, she was sure she'd prefer the other option.

"I am taking the presidential suite at the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica," he said over his tea. "There will be plenty of room until this case has resolved itself."

She frowned. She didn't really want to stay in a room with L for God knows how long, but it didn't seem like she had much of an option. A part of her even wondered why he was allowing them to stay with him, but she supposed he had his reasons. Even so, staying at her brothers place when Peterson was out there, did sort of freak her out. She knew that the only reason her brother agreed was because of her. If he lived alone, she knew he wouldn't have any fear and sleep in his own bed. She was sure Evans concern for his family was the same thing.

"Why do you have to get a suite?" she asked, coming out of her musings. "Is it really necessary?"

He placed his tea cup down, looking at her intently.

"No, I suppose it is not necessary," he said blandly. "But I prefer it. I stay in hotels for weeks at a time, and I prefer to be comfortable."

"I guess that makes sense," she said, sighing. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as Watari returns," he responded. "Which should be any minute now."

On cue, she heard the hotel door open.

"Your timing is impeccable," she joked and Watari walked in the room.

"Is everything in order?" L asked Watari, ignoring her comment and making her eyes narrow on him.

"Yes, Matthew." Watari said, giving a little bow. "I have the car ready for you and Miss Lafleur now. Mister Lafleur has been notified of the new arrangements."

L said nothing, but merely stood, pulling out some old sneakers from under his chair. He slipped them on his feet, and Ellie eyed them in surprise. They were old, worn, and had clearly seen better days. He didn't bother tying them as he straightened, and the laces hung in the floor, making Ellie twitch slightly at it. He walked over in his slouched position towards the door with his hands in his pockets.

"Er..." Ellie said, looking at the tray of tea and the chess set. "Should I get this stuff?" she asked Watari hesitantly.

"No need, Miss Lafleur," Watari said, smiling and motioning towards the door where L was standing, slouched and watching.

"Oh, okay..." she said, starting to walk but she paused. "Wait, my stuff is in the bathroom-"

"I have already gotten it for you." Watari said, smiling as she paused in her tracks.

"O-oh!" Ellie said, smiling. "You sure are nifty to have around, Watari!"

Watari chuckled, and they walked towards L, who was standing by the door looking as impassive as ever.

Ellie rolled her eyes at him, reaching for the door knob, seeing he wasn't going to do it. Perhaps he thought it was contaminated as well?

"Allow me, Miss Lafleur." Watari said, walking in front of her and pulling the door open for them. "Ladies first."

"Well, in that case, should I go, or should you?" she asked, turning towards L and smirking.

L's eyes widened and the smile dropped from her face in slight horror.

He stared at her, apparently at a loss for what to say. The surprise at her unabashed cheek must have been what saved her, she concluded, laughing nervously at the suddenly tense atmosphere. After all, she had only been joking.

"Kidding," she said, giving a nervous laugh. "I was kidding!"

He stared at her and she gulped, turning quickly and walking out the door, letting out a relieved breath. Sometimes, her foot literally lived in her mouth.

She quickly hurried to the elevator, hearing Watari's elegant strides and L shuffling behind her. She pushed the 'down' button, staring at the elevator doors with red cheeks.

The elevator came and she hurried inside, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. She wanted to groan with she realized that she would be in the car with L for around 30 minutes during the ride. She found herself wishing she actually carried her purse with her, then she'd have her iPod and headphones.

L shuffled in the elevator in front of Watari, standing beside her. Ellie instinctively shifted away, but caught herself at the last moment. Even though he was the rudest person on the face of the planet, she still didn't want to come off that way – even to him.

She watched the numbers go down, trying in vain not to notice his stare that was plastered to the side of her face. On its own accord, her face heated up again. She really started regretting not wearing makeup. At least it would have hidden her blush.

She sighed in relief as the elevator dinged and opened, with her hurrying out first. She made her way to the front, pulling open the door herself before Watari could get to her.

There, was a large, black, Mercedes car waiting out front. She raised her eyebrows, assuming that this car belonged to L.

She stopped at the curb, wringing her hands in front of her. Watari walked up to the black car, opening the back door and looking at her.

"Miss Lafleur." he said, gesturing towards the open car door.

"Thanks Watari!" she said nervously as she slid in quickly, Watari shutting the door behind her.

Out of her peripherals, she saw L and Watari walk around the car, Watari doing the same thing for him as he had her.

Her body visibly tensed as he slid in next to her. She looked at him, shocked for a moment as he sat like a normal person for moments. Normal, except for his extreme slouch.

Of course, though, he immediately pulled his legs up, resuming his usual perch.

She looked towards the front as Watari slid in, turning the car on.

She reached behind her, snapping her seat belt. Looking over at L, she saw he was staring ahead, making no attempt to fasten his safety belt.

"Aren't you going to wear your seat belt?" she asked him.

He turned his head to look at her. "No, because it interferes with how I need to sit."

"Right," she said, rolling her eyes. "But if we get into a car accident, you're going to go flying through the windshield."

He turned his head away and continued staring forwards as Watari pulled the car away from the hotel. He flat out ignored her comment, making her sigh out loud at his blatant rudeness. She figured she'd be use to it by now, but she wasn't. Every time he was rude, she'd feel irritation creep into her skin.

She stared at him hard, him ignoring car safety bugging her. She was a little uptight about it, especially after what happened to her parents. Even though they were wearing their seat belts, it still left an impression to always use safety in a vehicle.

"You should put your seat belt on," she snapped. "I don't like it. It's not safe."

He didn't move a muscle, and continued staring forward, completely ignoring her.

Fury pumped through her veins at his lack of acknowledgment.

"The fatality rate for people wearing seat belts in crashes is one in seven hundred and thirty two," she snapped at him, causing his head to finally turn towards her. "The fatality rate for unrestrained individuals is one in forty. There's some numbers for you."

He brought his thumb to his mouth, watching her blankly.

"Watari is not going to wreck this car." he said dully.

"That doesn't mean someone else won't!" she said in rebuttal, crossing her arms.

"It is unlikely, especially with the distance with which we are driving-"

"Just put your damn seat belt on!" she exclaimed, cutting him off. "And stop being so damn _stubborn_!"

Watari coughed loudly in the front, then cleared his throat.

L stared at her, irritation sweeping through his eyes as he studied her.

"No." he said in a stern voice.

She grit her teeth together in frustration. Why did he have to be so damn difficult?! A brilliant idea entered her mind in her anger, and she knew she'd throw him off and get the best of him.

Instantly, she reached down, unbuckling her belt as he watched. She stared at him in silence for moments, then she leaped over at him.

His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head as she reached around him, grabbing the belt. She made sure she didn't touch his body, but she was still way too close for comfort. He remained completely frozen as she pulled it out as far as it would go, wrapping it around him, legs and all – snapping it in the buckle.

Retreating back in her seat, she snapped her seat belt back and looked at him. Her lip trembled, and she burst into laughter.

He was sitting there, his large eyes bugged out, with a comically large frown on his face. He seemed to be frozen in surprise at her childish antics, and the seat belt being wrapped around his legs only added to the hilarious image.

"Y-you should s-see your f-face!" she laughed, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

His dark eyes narrowed on her, and he wiggled his legs down, setting his feet in the floor.

She couldn't stop laughing. It was the first time she saw him and he didn't have a serious look on his face.

"That was childish and unnecessary." he said darkly, glaring at her.

"It was also, hilarious." she giggled, looking at his serious face that was back and started laughing all over again.

His face didn't change, and he darkly watched her laugh at him. She knew she saw anger in his eyes, and her laughter died down and she wiped her eyes.

"Does that make you angry?" she asked, tilting her head questioningly. "That I found something you did funny?"

"I generally get offended when someone laughs at me. So, yes." he responded darkly.

"Just because I thought something you did was funny, doesn't mean I'm making fun of you, Harry." she said, smiling and shaking her head.

He stared at her for moments, then looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets. He kicked off his shoes, and pulled his legs up to his chest once again.

She sighed, suddenly feeling somewhat guilty. He was overreacting, of course. But she supposed he didn't really understand human interactions, as socially awkward as he was. She supposed no matter what she said, he'd take it that she was making fun of him and be offended. They were supposed to be friends, weren't they? She felt the need to apologize to him, even though she was just having fun.

"Look..." she sighed, turning her head towards him. "I was just having fun. I wasn't making fun of you—I just thought it was funny that you didn't look serious for once. It was kind of nice..." she paused as he turned to look at her. "But I'm sorry if I offended you."

He didn't speak, and she sighed again. She supposed he was still mad. You know, for someone that was so highly intelligent, he sure was childish. It was like he was pouting at her.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, to see him staring darkly at the back of Watari's seat. His nose was scrunched slightly, and his long fingers gripped his knees.

_'He looks kind of cute like that.'_ she froze, shocked at her own thoughts._ 'What? He's not cute! He's...he's...him!'_ she thought, looking at him as her heart fluttered.

She couldn't possibly have a..._crush_ on L, could she? She shook her head, and stared at him. Surely not? L definitely was _not_ the type of guy she usually was interested in. He was highly intelligent, clever, determined, and very interesting...She froze. L kind of _was_ the type of guy she liked. Even looks-wise...she had always liked men with longer black hair, and L definitely had that. His eyes were intense, once you noticed that they weren't completely black. She had always loved usual eye colors...

_'My God...I have a crush on L...'_ she thought to herself, astounded at her own revelation. _'This is not good...'_ she concluded, staring at him. But surely, it would be fine. After all, it wasn't like he'd ever like her in a million years.

It didn't matter, she concluded. It wasn't like she was in_ love_ with the guy, and she almost scoffed out loud. It was just a _tiny_ crush anyway. She just accepted he was kind of...cute – in his own, weird way. She could think that, couldn't she? There wasn't anything wrong with that.

He snapped his head to look at her, and she flushed, realizing she'd kept her eyes on him the entire time she had been thinking. Instantly, she looked away and out the window. She tucked her hair behind her ear, and then started twisting her ring that was on her pointer finger.

He kept his stare on her, and her heart pounded. At times, it felt like he could read minds. But surely, there was no way he could know she had thought he was cute...could he? God, if so, she'd go back to her house and risk being murdered.

She felt his stare unmoving from her for the rest of the car ride as she silently looked out the window, thinking about her revelation_. _

* * *

__The song is Creep by: Radiohead :)


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N: I believe this is the longest chapter I have written for this story...What can I say? I just can't seem to stop! I'm really into this story, and I fully intend to finish it. But, thank you for your kind reviews. I'm so happy that you guys love Ellie, because like I said, I'm basing a lot of her personality on my own. I couldn't help it, I'd love to be with L xD Hey, a girl can dream, can't I?**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter my lovely readers! Feel free to let me know what you think, as I am highly curious xD**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN DEATH NOTE. THIS FACT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Ellie watched with big eyes as they pulled into the front of a luxurious hotel. Perhaps, even more luxurious than the last one. She hadn't looked, or spoken to L since she apologized. She had merely stared out the window, trying to ignore his penetrating stare the entire time.

She opened her car door before Watari could reach her. The man insisted on treating her like a princess. It was unnecessary, and she felt guilty every time he did it. L clearly didn't mind having someone wait on him hand and foot, but she wasn't raised that way. She liked to do things for herself. Besides, it flat out made her uncomfortable.

She stepped out, looking around and seeing people in business suits entering the hotel. Looking down at her clothes, she attempted, yet again, to make her shorts longer by pulling on them.

L stepped into her view, and she immediately stopped her attempts. He looked at her for moments, then turned without a word and began walking towards the entrance. Watari stayed behind, smiling and gesturing for her to go first.

She smiled at Watari as they began walking.

"Say, Watari?" Ellie asked as he pulled the door open for her and they walked inside after L. "You didn't happen to get my Xbox, did you?"

"Yes, Miss Lafleur," he smiled as they walked to stand next to L, who was waiting at the elevator. "I did retrieve it with your other items. I also brought the stuffed panda that was on your bed—I assumed you would want it."

"You brought Mister Gordo?" she asked, slightly surprised.

L finally turned to look at her, blinking slowly once before staring. Her face flushed in embarrassment. And to think, not too long ago she had argued that she wasn't a child. So, she still slept with her childhood stuffed animal. There wasn't anything wrong with that, was there? After all, it had been a gift her father had won for her at a carnival when she was seven. He spent thirty dollars trying to knock over those bottles, but he finally did it and won it for her. It was special to her.

Watari chuckled lightly as the elevator door opened. "Yes, I brought him."

"O-oh," Ellie blushed, walking in after L. "Thank you, you were right." she smiled.

She tried to ignore L's pensive stare, but found it difficult. She wasn't sure why she was so quiet around him all of a sudden. It was probably because she suspected him to be angry. When she was angry at someone, she didn't give a damn if they were angry back or not. But, when she wasn't angry, she felt uncomfortable and would always tense up. She didn't like anyone being angry with her for long periods of time, it make her nervous.

The elevator stopped on the top floor, and L instantly walked out first. She followed, shaking her head as clearly the, 'ladies first' did not apply to him like it did Watari.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "What about Snowbell?!"

"He is in the hotel room, Miss Lafleur," Watari confirmed, allowing Ellie to let out a relieved breath.

"Oh, thank God!" she sighed, putting her hand on her chest. "Aw, poor thing – he's probably scared to death!"

"Yes, he was quite frightened of me," Watari said as the continued down the long hallway. "I wondered for moments if he was going to bite me, but he didn't. He's a smart dog, I think he knew I wasn't going to hurt him."

"Oh, not Snowbell," Ellie smiled. "He's a sweetie. He's my dog, and he wouldn't hurt anybody. Not that he could, he's so tiny."

"Yes, he seemed rather frantic," Watari smiled. "If you prefer, we can have him put in a kennel until this is over. I did not want to do so without your permission."

Ellie frowned. "I don't know—he's very attached to me. I'd be worried he'd have heart failure and think I abandoned him! But, don't worry, he's very well trained." she assured him, letting him know he wouldn't lift his leg in the hotel room. "If he becomes an issue, I'll put him in one."

Watari smiled as they walked up to the door with L. L paused, looking at her again as Watari stuck a key in the door.

Ellie met his eye for moments, but found she couldn't hold his stare. Not with her recent thoughts about him. She averted her eyes, turning slightly red and wanting to kick herself.

She walked into the suite after L, with Watari holding the door open for her, of course.

She gasped slightly as she looked around. Hotel room? More like a penthouse suite. She was in the main area, and she saw a huge TV on the wall, a black leather couch, and two black recliners. To the right, there was a large kitchen area with even an island in the middle. She saw two double doors off the right of the living room, and she assumed they were the bedrooms. Walking ahead, she looked to the left, seeing there was a dining room and two double doors leading to the balcony that had an ocean front view.

"Wow..." she said, looking around and seeing L hop in one of the recliners, resuming his perched position.

Watari walked up to one of the double doors and turned towards her. "Through here will be you and your brothers bedroom. If it is a problem sharing, you can take the room to the right." he said, pointing to the other set of double doors.

"But where will Matthew sleep?" she asked, looking over at L. Not that he looked like he even slept, but surely he had to, right?

"I do not sleep in beds," he said plainly, watching her. "I was merely going to keep that room open in case we needed it. But, as Watari said, if it is a problem – you can have the other bedroom."

"It should be fine," she said, blushing and looking away from him. She found herself wishing she had remained ignorant to her attraction. At least then she wouldn't be acting so weird around him.

She looked at Watari, and he opened the double doors. Instantly, a white fuzzball came flying out at lighting speed, running straight at her with a little yip.

A smile erupted on her face as she got down to her knees to greet her little dog.

"Heyyyy belly!" she said, as the dog jumped in her arms, excitedly trying to lick her face. "I think he missed me." she laughed, scratching him behind his ears.

Watari chuckled as she stood and tried to calm the frantic, excited dog in her arms.

"If he barks often, he will have to go to a kennel," L said suddenly, making her focus her attention to him as she tucked the dog under him arm. "Also, I must ask that you keep him in the bedroom at all times, except to take him for a walk."

"He follows me, wherever I go." she sighed, patting the dog on the head. "If I lock him in there, and he can hear me in here—he'll whine and cry at the door."

L didn't reply, but continued to stare at her impassively, making her sigh and look at Snowbell.

"He won't be a problem as long as he can follow me around," she said, patting Snowbell. "He'll be quiet and content. But if he's locked in a room, away from me, that's when he'll start making noise."

"Very well," L said dully. "Just keep him away from me and keep him quiet – or he's going to a kennel. Is that understood?"

Ellie looked over at him, glaring. How could he say that about such a sweet little dog? Snowbell was one of the friendliest animals she'd ever seen, and it seemed like he just hated him. She could understand if he wasn't really a dog person, but she had a feeling that he wasn't an any animal person. He was lonely, he should get a cat or dog since he hated people.

"Yeah, I understand," she said, trying to keep the hateful tone out of her voice. "Mean..." she mumbled towards herself, walking towards the bedroom door.

She swore she heard Watari chuckle as she walked past him, and she walked in her room, closing the door.

Setting Snowbell down, she looked around the room to see that it was massive. It had a large king size bed, definitely big enough for her and her brother. It had a vanity, a closet, and even a balcony. There was a door that she figured led to the bathroom.

She yawned, looking at the clock. To her surprise, it was after eight P.M. No wonder she was feeling tired, seeing as she'd been up since six.

Luggage was laying in the floor, and she assumed it was her clothes and things. She picked one up, putting it on the bed and opening it. Sure enough, most of her clothes were inside it, and she quickly found a large T-shirt that she slept in and some small plaid shorts.

Deciding to take a shower, she took her clothes and the bath bag into the large bathroom. Just like at the other hotel, it had a large tub, glass shower, and double sinks.

She quickly undressed and hopped in the shower, taking her time.

After she was done, she put on her pajamas and went into the bedroom, brushing her hair. Snowbell was already asleep on the bed, and she looked at the clock, seeing it was after nine. She frowned, picking up her phone and calling her brother.

It rang and rang, and he still didn't answer. She sighed, falling on the bed and pulling the big white duvet over her. She lay her phone next to her, waiting for her brother to call back before she fell asleep.

As she waited, her mind went back to L.

How could she possibly find him attractive? He was a lying, rude, uncaring ass. How could she possibly find him attractive? He had his moments where he seemed sort of nice, but it was hard to tell him him. He was too indifferent about everything. Of course, she had always found intelligent men very attractive. And L...well, it didn't get much more intelligent than him. He was witty, and that was also attractive...but still, his negative traits far out shone his positive ones. She also knew that he didn't care about her, and chances were, he never would. Maybe it was the appeal of wanting something you know you can't have? She had never been that way before, but there was always a first time for everything. She had sworn she'd never be one of those girls that fell for the asshole guy that didn't care about her. She had dated Eric, but she didn't fall in love with him. He had _seemed_ nice...but, her only boyfriend had turned out to be a complete pig, expecting her to have sex with him after a few weeks of knowing him! She was a virgin, and fully intended to stay that way until she truly fell in love. Eric had been a handsome, rocker type guy. He played guitar, and had shaggy brown hair. Girls had swooned over him, and she remembered feeling so lucky when she became his girlfriend. However, that didn't last very long. She saw his true self, and it was completely ugly.

She thought about L looks-wise, smiling slightly to herself. He definitely wasn't conventionally handsome – but she had never liked that in the first place; so it wasn't that unusual. She hated to admit it, but she really liked his wild hair. It was definitely out of control, but it suited him in a weird way. She was surprised he kept it somewhat long, seeing as he didn't seem to care for his appearance. The black locks that fell in his eyes made his stare that much more intense...perhaps he knew that, and that was why he kept it long? His pale skin contrasted dramatically against his dark eyes and pitch black hair, but that made it all the more interesting to look at.

_'He also has nice hands,' _her mind piped in as she rolled over on her back. It was true, Ellie did notice mens hands. Nothing grossed her out more than a man with long, or dirty finger nails. L had long, elegant fingers – pianist fingers. He held everything like it was contaminated, but at the same time, he appeared to handle everything with delicacy. Even when he had grasped her wrists, his hold was delicate, but firm.

She bit her lip and pulled a pillow over her face, groaning into it.

_'I feel like a stupid school girl with a silly crush. I like a man, and I don't even know his name!' _she thought, putting the pillow back down beside her.

She shivered as she thought about him finding out about her silly crush. Mortification entered her body at the mere thought of it. Surely, he'd be freaked out? If he even cared at all, that was. Either way, she'd just simply die. She had a feeling he'd never had a girlfriend, or anything of the sort. Perhaps no girl had even liked him before? She would have thought that at least one would have, but her opinion was biased, since she personally found him cute. Her friends sure as _hell_ wouldn't think L was cute, and if she ever had a boyfriend even somewhat similar to him, they'd look at her like she'd lost her mind. Not that she'd care what her friends thought if she really liked someone, though.

_'Why are you even thinking that? You don't want to be his girlfriend! You just like him...a little.' _she thought to herself, scowling at the ceiling.

Her mind continued to wander, and she shut her eyes, hearing the waves crashing outside. She fought to stay conscious, but her mind shut down and she fell into slumber.

((O))

Ellie groaned as she slowly awoke.

"Johnny?" she called out in a sleepy voice, reaching over and patting the bed next to her, only to come in contact with Snowbell who was curled up beside her.

She yawned, and sat up sleepily, looking around the dimly lit room with sleepy eyes. Looking over at the clock, she saw it was four-thirty in the morning. She groaned and fell back on the bed, rubbing her eyes. Looking over to the other side of the bed, she could clearly see that Johnny never came to bed. She frowned, picking up her phone and looking to see if he called her back. He didn't, but she did see a text, and it was sent around ten P.M.

_Sorry sweetie, I'm following a lead. Peterson was spotted near a gas station in Long Beach, and I'm very busy. I'm not sure when I'll be at the hotel, but it may be early morning hours. I love you, don't wait up for me. _

_-Johnny_

She frowned. He had _never _stayed out this long on a case. Especially not running after the culprit. But she supposed he was personally involved in this one, and felt he needed to do the responsible thing and find him as quickly as possible.

Yawning, she rolled over and closed her eyes, fully intent on going back to sleep. Her mind was awake with worry, and she groaned as she realized it was useless and she might as well get up. That, and she was really thirsty and hungry.

Throwing off the covers, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked up to see her reflection in the vanity mirror. She laughed out loud at the sight. Her hair looked like she'd just come in from a tornado, and she had a red mark on the side of her face from sleeping on her arm.

Shaking her head, she stood, stretched, and began walking towards the door. She paused, wondering if she should fix herself before going out. After all, chances were that L was in there. But maybe he'd be asleep, and she was too sleepy, thirsty, and hungry to even bother.

Patting her hair down some, she reached and opened the door, walking out as Snowbell jumped off the bed and followed her.

"Are you hungry, Belly? Cause' I know I am!" she asked in a quiet voice, trying to let her eyes get accustomed to the light. Apparently, L had every light in the main room turned on, and it hurt her eyes some.

She rubbed her eyes, her vision focusing on the furniture, and she paused when she saw L perched there, watching her with blank eyes.

"Oh!" she said, somewhat startled – blushing slightly when she thought about her hair.

"Good morning..." she said, twisting her hands in front of her with a small smile.

He didn't respond, and watching her through his dark hair that fell in his eyes.

"Erm, do you know when my brother is coming back?" she asked hoarsely. She really needed something to drink.

"He should be back soon." he responded, watching her. His eyes flicked down to Snowbell, who was sitting there, looking up at her with puppy eyes and wagging his tail.

"Oh, that's good..." she shifted nervously. "Um, actually I'm kind of hungry and thirsty. Is there anything in the kitchen?"

"There should be," he responded, picking up his tea cup. "Watari went to get supplies last night."

"Oh, okay." she said nervously, quickly hurrying past him and towards the kitchen with Snowbell behind her, feeling his eyes on her the whole way there.

She sighed in relief as she went out of his sight. She needed to get over this crush, and fast or he would surely notice something.

Opening the cabinets, she finally found some dog food for Snowbell, seeing that Watari had set a food and water bowl on the floor for him. She smiled, thinking about how sweet Watari was as she fed Belly.

After that, she immediately threw open the refrigerator, gasping in shock when she saw about ten, 20oz. Red Bulls in there. Giving a goofy smile, she reached in and took one out, opening it and chugging some quickly.

She reminded herself to thank Watari as she pulled out some eggs, bacon, and sausage. Pulling out pans, she started cracking eggs into a mixing bowl for herself.

_'Should I ask L if he wants me to cook anything for him too?' _she paused. That wouldn't give away that she had a tiny crush on him, would it? After all, it was only polite to offer since she was cooking. She was sure he'd deny it anyway, seeing as he only ate sweets.

Resolving that to herself, she hesitantly walked into the living area, seeing L typing on his laptop that he had sitting in front of him.

She leaned against the door frame, watching him for a moment. He typed extremely fast, and his hands were positioned oddly. He had his hands pointing straight down, instead of laying them on the computer, and he was pecking at the keys.

She couldn't help it when a giggle escaped her at how funny this looked.

This got his attention, and he immediately paused, slowly bringing his face up to look at her.

She flushed, shrinking back slightly in embarrassment.

"Um...I'm m-making breakfast," she said awkwardly, shifting on her feet. "I was just seeing if you wanted me to cook you anything while I'm at it..."

He watched her for moments, appearing to be in thought.

"I'll take four pancakes. I want them stacked and make them slightly large. I'll take five sliced strawberries with sugar sprinkled on them, also," he said to her surprise, putting his finger to his lips. "Make sure you put half of a cup of sugar in the batter, and bring me the whole bottle of maple syrup, also."

She blinked in surprise. Well, she surely hadn't expected that. That was awfully demanding, and he didn't ask, more like told her. She figured if Watari wasn't around, he simply starved. Irritation creeped into her skin.

"Okay..." she paused, slightly aghast. "Anything else, your highness?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

He slowly blinked, staring at her.

"No, that's all. Just make sure the pancakes are sweet." he said dully, watching her.

"I'll get right on that, your majesty." she said sweetly, giving him a small, mock curtsy.

He just watched her impassively as she huffed and walked back into the kitchen. Fine, since he was paying for this room, she'd humor him and make him what he said. But, she'd be damned if she was going to bring it to him on a silver platter. What did she look like to him, his temporary maid?

"Asshole..." she grumbled as she pulled out the pancake mix and sugar.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally finished both of their meals. She had made two sunny side up eggs, three pieces of bacon, and two sausage links for herself. For him, she had made exactly what he said. She had stuck her finger in the batter to make sure it was sweet, and it was. Almost sickeningly so. She did it to check that, and also...She hated to admit it, but she childishly thought, 'my germs!' when she did it. It felt like a tiny revenge. But it wasn't that bad, it wasn't like she spit in the batter. Besides, that was just gross and she really wasn't _that_ mad.

She wiped her hands after sprinkling sugar on the strawberries, and pancakes for good measure. Time to tell him to come get it his damn self.

She smirked, walking into the main area, where he sat still perched.

"It's done!" she announced, smiling sweetly at him as he looked up at her and down at her hands, obviously looking for the food.

"Where is it?" he asked, tilting his head down.

"In the kitchen." she responded innocently.

He just stared at her.

"If you want it, you're going to have to get it yourself," she said sarcastically, seeing he wasn't taking the hint. "I made it, so you can come get it. I'm _not _your servant, and I'm not waiting on you hand and foot."

Surprise flitted across his face as she turned on her heel and marched back in the kitchen. Taking her plate and Red Bull, she hopped on one of the stools at the island, starting to eat as her stomach grumbled.

Snowbell was on the floor, looking at her with big, puppy eyes.

"No, bad boy!" she said with her mouth full of eggs, shaking her finger at him. "You don't beg, and you've already ate!"

Snowbell watched her with big sad eyes and stuck his paw up, making her go soft.

_'Big dark eyes seem to be making me go soft lately,' _she thought to herself as she gave in, giving Snowbell a small piece of her sausage.

She heard shuffling behind her, and smiled to herself when she realized L seemed to finally decide he wanted his food after all.

He came around the counter to his food plate, and she smiled at him as his eyes fell on her. He, apparently, wasn't amused as he picked up the syrup bottle with his pointer and thumb, pouring a huge amount of syrup on the pancakes. Ellie felt nauseous just watching him.

He picked up the fork with his pointer and thumb, forking some of the pancakes.

_'He's going to stand there and eat?' _she thought, surprised as she munched on her bacon.

"Do you ever eat regular food?" she asked, watching him as he shoveled in the first bite. She noticed he seemed hesitant at first, and she wondered if he was contemplating on whether on not she poisoned it.

He chewed slowly, and she gave a smile smile when she saw approval cross his features.

"Not often," he responded with his mouth full, forking another bite of pancakes. "I do eat fruit often, though."

"Fruit is sweet." she said, raising her eyebrow and taking a swig of Red Bull. "So, no vegetables in your diet, huh?"

He brought his eyes to her, studying her as she chewed on his food.

"Not usually," he said with his mouth full again. "I cannot stomach them very well."

Her eyes flickered down, and she realized this may possibly be the first time she ever saw his teeth. After all, he barely even moved his lips when he talked, effectively hiding his teeth from view. She didn't really think about it, until now.

Surprisingly, they were very white and straight. It was almost astonishing, considering the amount of sweets he hate. She was surprised every tooth in his head hadn't rotted out.

"I like almost all vegetables," she said suddenly, realizing she had zoned out for moments on his teeth. "Well, except radishes and Brussels. But hey, who likes them anyway?" she laughed nervously.

"Mmm." he mumbled, digging through his pancakes at an alarming rate. She raised her eyebrows. Not that she cared, but clearly, he had no table manners whatsoever. She was waiting for him to wipe his mouth on his sleeve or something.

Just as she thought that, syrup dribbled down his chin, but he appeared not to notice as he continued shoveling the food in.

"You've got a little..." she trailed off as his eyes fell on her. "Here." she said, pointing to her chin.

He made no move to wipe it, but continued staring at her through his dark hair. She rolled her eyes, grabbing her napkin and leaning across the counter towards him.

His eyes widened, but he didn't move as she gently stuck the napkin to his face, slowly wiping the syrup from his chin.

Pulling away, she smiled sheepishly at his startled expression.

"All gone," she said, nodding as she set the napkin down and picked up her Red Bull.

He continued watching her with large eyes, and she flushed, looking down at her plate, continuing to eat her food as though nothing happened.

_'You're an idiot...What the hell was that?' _she thought angrily at herself. She blushed at her inner thoughts when she realized...she had indeed flirted with him, indirectly. She hadn't thought about it when she had done it, but now she really regretted it. He'd figure her out if she wasn't careful. She wasn't even sure what the hell _possessed_ her to actually do that.

She took a chance, looking up at him through her lashes to see if she could tell if he noticed anything. Regretting it, however, when she saw he was still staring at her. Except this time, it was more disturbing because he was eating at the same time.

Her heart started thumping harshly, and she went slightly stiff. He didn't notice, did he? It was impossible to tell with that blank look on his face.

"Ellie?"

Ellie jumped, startled more than she should have been when she heard her brother voice call for her from the door. She hadn't even heard the door open!

Immediately turning, she saw Johnny leaning against the kitchen door frame, smiling at her warily in his wrinkled suit.

"Happy Birthday, baby." he smiled, but she could tell he was exhausted.

"Johnny!" she exclaimed, smiling and hopping off the stool, charging at him full speed.

"Whoa! Calm down!" he laughed as she jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. He lifted her off the ground, spinning her around a few times, making her laugh before he sat her down.

"Are you okay?" she asked, putting her hand on his arm. "Did you find him? What's happening? Is Evans-"

"Ellie," he said, laughing and putting his hand up to stop her. "Not so many questions at once, I'm tired and my mind can't process it."

"Sorry!" she blushed, glancing over at L, seeing that he finished his pancakes, and was merely watching with his hands in his pockets.

"No, we haven't caught him," he said, looking down. "And around one in the morning, there was another murder-"

"WHAT?!" she screeched, putting her hands up to her mouth, horrified.

"Yes, I know," he said dejectedly, walking up to the stool and flopping down. "Can you fix me some eggs, honey? I know its your birthday, but I'm-"

"I will!" she exclaimed, running past L and pulling more eggs out of the fridge. "Don't even worry about it!"

"Thanks honey," Johnny said. "This girl was only nineteen-"

Ellie dropped the eggs in her hands in shock.

_'What?! That's really close to my age...' _she thought, horrified.

"Oh, Ellie!" Johnny groaned, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I love you, but you're so clumsy!"

"Oh!" she said, bending down and picking up the eggs. She opened the carton and saw that only two were broken, thankfully.

"You know how I like them," Johnny smiled, rubbing his eyes. "We can't figure out why he's targeting younger women all of a sudden...I'm surprised he's continuing to kill. I figured he'd just run. That seems typical."

"Was this girl r-raped?" she asked, beating the eggs harshly in the bowl.

"Yes," Johnny said disgustedly, making her own stomach turn. "We don't need to be talking about this. It's your birthday. We'll discuss this tomorrow."

"It's okay!" she said, pouring the eggs in the pan and pulling out some cheese from the fridge. "I want to know what's happening."

She spread some shredded cheese over the eggs, and pulled a bottle of hot sauce out of the cabinet, pouring some on the eggs.

"No, it can wait," he sighed. "Besides I have a big birthday present for you. It should be here this afternoon."

"What is it?" Ellie asked, turning around, fully distracted.

"I'm not telling you!" Johnny exclaimed, laughing. "It's a surprise!"

"I don't like surprises," she said, scrunching her nose.

"I know, I know," he smirked. "You have to know everything that's happening twenty-four seven...But you'll like this surprise."

"You're killing me," she said, turning to scrape the eggs into a plate.

She brought the eggs to him, sitting them in front of him and he smiled at her, instantly digging in.

"Do you want me to pour you some milk?" she asked, walking towards the fridge and by L, who was watching her.

_'Bastard...why didn't he tell me?' _she thought, as she walked by. Surely, he knew about the other murder. And what had he done? Demanded sweet pancakes.

Johnny nodded, with his mouth full as she poured him some milk, already knowing he'd want some.

She walked over to him, setting it in front of him and watching him with a worried look. His bags looked almost as bad as L's...not quite, but still. They were pretty bad.

"Thanks sweetie," he smiled. "You don't mind if I sleep a while do you? I know its your birthday, but if you don't want me too then I won't-"

"Don't be stupid!" she exclaimed, smacking his arm. "Of course I want you to sleep! Sleep as long as you want!"

"You're an angel," he said, smiling and finishing off his eggs.

"Is it alright that I sleep, Matthew?" Johnny asked L, speaking to him for the first time.

Ellie turned and glared at L, daring him to say it wasn't okay.

"Yes, that will be fine," L said, nodding his head and looking at her glare.

"Ellie didn't drive you insane, did she?" Johnny asked, smirking.

"Johnny!" Ellie said, smacking his arm and glaring at him as she turned red.

"No, her company was satisfactory," he said, nodding and putting his finger to his lip.

"Good, hey, thanks for all this..." Johnny said awkwardly, standing and scratching the back of his head. "After our talk, I felt comfortable enough to leave Ellie with you. So thanks for looking after my sister and all-"

"Johnny!" Ellie snapped again, turning red as she avoided looking at L. _Talk_? What talk? She wasn't sure she even wanted to know. Johnny clearly didn't know that L had intended to use her as bait...her stomach clenched at the memory.

"It is not a problem," L said in a monotone voice, looking stoic as ever.

Johnny smiled at him and then turned to her. "If I'm not awake by one, feel free to wake my ass up."

"I'll let you sleep as long as you need to!" she said, smiling.

"Alright, love you." he said, grabbing her by the back of her head and kissing her forehead.

"Love you too," she said, smiling as he walked out of the kitchen, leaving her alone with L – yet again.

She looked over at L to see him watching her, and she cleared her throat.

"Um, I guess I should clean up in here..." she mumbled, picking up their plates and walking towards the sink.

"You can leave it for Watari," L said in a monotone voice, turning towards her.

She instantly shook her head.

"No, Watari has enough to do," she said, turning on the water and pouring detergent on a wash cloth. "I'm not helpless. I can wash a few dishes."

"If you insist." he said, but she didn't feel him move away from the kitchen.

"So...what talk did you and my brother have?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"He was concerned about leaving you with me for a long period of time," he said from behind her. "I assured him that you would be in absolutely no danger with Watari and I. At first, I believe he implied that I was attracted to you, and he became worried-"

Ellie dropped the plate she was cleaning in shock.

_'Johnny did what?! What on earth would ever give him that impression?!' _she thought to herself, more than a little horrified. She was glad that she was turned away from L, or he would surely see the deep blush on her cheeks in her embarrassment.

"O-oh," she laughed awkwardly. "Well, you know how family are. They think everyone w-wants the g-girl." she stuttered pitifully in embarrassment.

L said nothing, and she was sure her brow started to sweat. Johnny had thought L was attracted to her? Her stomach fluttered a little, thinking that perhaps he had noticed something she hadn't. After all, she had never been able to tell when a guy liked her, and was always shocked when she found out they did. She was extremely observant, but in that circumstance, she seemed to be constantly oblivious. Her friends and brother always said she didn't see herself clearly, but she wasn't sure what to think about that.

But then again, it also wasn't likely. Of course, her brother was very protective, and L was a fairly young man. He probably just assumed he wanted to...

Her face turned even redder at where her thoughts had led. There was no way L was attracted to her. He had said that she was attractive once, but that had merely been a statement. It just – wasn't the same. He probably meant generally attractive. He'd probably even say Johnny was an attractive man, which he was, by society standards. Perhaps that was what he meant...

_'What if L is gay?' _she thought, slightly horrified. That would be just her luck. But then again, she definitely hadn't gotten the gay vibe from him...but also, she hadn't gotten a straight one either. Perhaps he was one of those people that claimed to be asexual?

She giggled out loud as a mental image of L trying to flirt with a girl entered her mind. She pictured him giving her his number on a piece of paper, holding it from the top in his unusual way with his pointer and thumb. That would be _so_ attractive to some stuck up bimbo.

"What is funny?" L's voice sounded from behind her, making her turn around and face him. He was leaning against the counter with his hands in his jeans, watching her. Did he even change his clothes? Or did he have a limitless supply of baggy jeans and white shirts?

"Oh, er," she said, smiling. "It was just something my mind wandered to – that's all."

He stared at her, and she wondered if he was thinking she was insane. She turned back around, finishing washing off the dishes.

"I still challenge to to a game of Mortal Kombat," she said, drying off her hands. "Don't forget!"

"I haven't forgotten," he responded. "I have work to do today, but perhaps I will when I am finished."

"Just be glad I'm not dragging you down to the pool," she smirked, turning around and leaning against the counter.

"Yes, I personally requested that Watari pack your bathing suit," he said, putting his thumb to his mouth. "You should find it in your belongings."

She flushed. "Okay, um...can I help with the case?" she asked hesitantly.

L studied her for what felt like forever, and she broke her gaze away, yet again, unable to hold it.

"I'm not sure," he said after a pause. "It is clear he's going to keep killing, but I have been musing over whether he has an accomplice or not."

"An accomplice?" she squeaked, her eyes widening.

"Yes." he said, turning away and walking in the main room. She hesitated for a moment and followed him, Snowbell padding right behind her.

L hopped in his chair, perched in his monkey-like style, looking at her.

"Um, let me get dressed and stuff and I'll come back out." she said quickly, looking down at her baggy shirt and shorts.

He didn't answer, and moved his gaze to his computer.

Quickly, she snuck in the bedroom, being careful not to wake Johnny, who was sprawled out on the bed, snoring loudly. He slept like the dead, and she was sure she could go stampeding through the room with a tambourine and he wouldn't wake.

She quickly grabbed some clothes and darted in the bathroom.

Throwing on her Avenged Sevenfold tank and blue jean shorts, she quickly brushed her teeth and hair, nodding at her appearance before sneaking back through the bedroom and out the door.

L was sitting in the same place, and he looked over at her when she emerged. She blushed slightly, and walked over to the couch, very aware of his dark gaze following her every movement.

"So...an accomplice?" she said, pulling her legs under her and tucking her hair behind her ears.

L watched her for moments, and she shifted under his gaze. Was it her, or was he acting even more stoic than usual? Had she done something wrong?

"Yes, we found a semen sample that did not match his DNA." he said lowly. "At first, I questioned if it was even him, or a copy cat. The biblical quote was there, and all other similarities. Even so, the girl was much younger and that, also, made me question on whether or not it was him."

"I see..." Ellie frowned. "Why is he suddenly attacking younger women? I mean, the girl before her was in her twenties...and now this one – only a teenager. That frightens me. It makes me think he's going to start killing women younger and younger..." she trailed off, feeling bad for the victims and their families.

"I believe is is so psychologically warped, that it is no longer just about his wife," he said, pulling on his lip, muffling his words. "I think, now, he gets off on it. He found himself attracted to younger women recently, so he has begun raping and killing those with whom he feels sexually attracted to."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she shivered in disgust.

"I wonder what brought that around?" she mused out loud, scrunching her face up.

He brought his eyes to her, staring at her intently. She blinked, staring back. His gaze was somewhat imploring, as though he was testing her—waiting for her to figure something out.

_'Younger women..._' she thought, looking at him. _'He had intended to take me to the concert and...hurt me. He wouldn't be suggesting that this...attraction...started with me, is he? That couldn't be it!' _

"Are you implying it started with me?" she asked quietly, her breath caught in her throat as she saw approval flash in his eyes at her answer.

"Yes, I believe being in your presence for long periods of time..." he trailed off, staring her right in the eyes. "He began to feel a strong sexual attraction towards you, and that is when he decided to target younger women."

Ellie was mortified, not to mention she felt like she was going to vomit all over the floor.

"That doesn't mean it had anything to do with me!" she exclaimed. "I mean, it could have been someone else. Just because I was around, doesn't nessicarily mean that he-"

"As I told you before," he cut her off. "I've seen lust in his eyes when he looked at you. That is why I preferred that you and your brother stay here. There is about a sixty percent chance he would find you and attempt to act out his fantasies-"

"OKAY!" she exclaimed, jumping up and holding her hand up. "I get it. I'm already extremely freaked out, and I don't need any more detail. I get it."

He fell silent and her skin crawled. Now, everything especially made sense. Before, there was a small chance the he would go to their house and attempt to hurt them...but now, if it was true...well, she was extremely glad she wasn't at her house.

"I put you both in this situation, so it was my responsibility to correct it," he said suddenly, making her look at him, startled.

Was he saying that he made a mistake by using her as bait? It sure seemed that way, but she wasn't foolish enough to look at it in a way that he clearly hadn't meant. It simply hadn't worked out as he planned, and now he had to deal with the aftermath. That was clearly all he was saying.

"Well..." she said, sitting on the couch again, keeping her gaze away from him. "I appreciate that."

"I know your attraction."

Ellie froze, her blood turning to ice as it all went to her face.

"E-excuse me?" she squeaked, forcing her eyes to look at him.

"Your attraction," he repeated blandly. "To me."

Ellie stared at him, aghast. H-how could he possibly know? Was it because she wiped his chin?! That was hardly a reason to come to that assumption! Then again, he was the greatest detective in the world...perhaps he even noticed before she did.

She opened her mouth to deny it, but the serious look on his face caused her to snap her mouth shut. From his look, it was clear that he wouldn't believe her if she denied it.

"You should know already," he continued, looking down at his tea cup. "I will not entertain your romantic notions. I highly suggest that you simply let your attraction go, or transfer it to someone else. It will be unrequited. I will not return your feelings in any way." he looked up at her mortified face. "This issue needed to be addressed before it reached a more serious point than it already has—I couldn't allow that to happen. Please do not act on your feelings towards me."

Fury rose through her humiliation at his words. How insensitive could this man possibly be?! She had been mortified, but now, she was enraged. It couldn't have been any clearer if he had spat in her face.

"Oh, I've already let it go the second you opened your mouth and let those words flow out," she spat venomously, making him look at her.

She stood up quickly, walking in front of him. His eyes bugged slightly as she leaned down towards him, looking him dead in the eyes.

"If could contemplate getting over yourself for _two seconds_," she whispered venomously. "You'd see that it was not as serious as you're making it out to be. Yes, I may have thought you were cute a couple of times – but you're speaking as though I wanted to _fuck_ you," she actually laughed at his startled expression. "It was fleeting thoughts, so don't flatter yourself in such a way to think that my so called, 'attraction' was anything more than that. I could never be serious about someone like you." she spat.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, his eyes narrowing and his face becoming scarily dark.

"Someone that has no feelings," she spat, straightening up to cross her arms. "That every time they open their mouth, a lie flows out. You have no respect for me, or anyone else for that matter. If you could pull your head out of your ass long enough to look around, you'd see there are more important things in the world than yourself. I've never seen someone so smart, yet so exceedingly ignorant." she took a stab at his intelligence in her anger, watching his dark eyes fill with fury. "You wouldn't be worth my time. I'm not wasting time on someone as cold and as heartless as you are. What do you have? Your money? Your cases? I hope they make you happy, because that's all you'll ever have. You'll die an old man, with no one there that even cares. And you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

He stood up sharply, causing her to back away from him. His lips were pressed in a hard line, and his eyes were dark with mirth.

"Do not take your anger at my rejection out on me," he hissed in the darkest tone she'd ever heard anyone utter, making her flinch slightly. "I was doing you a favor-"

"Oh, were you?" she cut in sarcastically. "Forgive me, but I fail to see how humiliating me by blowing something _wayyy_ out of proportion, on my birthday, no less – is in my benefit. Do explain, oh wise one."

He didn't respond, and she knew she had him. He hadn't thought of her at all, he had simply threw it out there—not considering at all at how it would make her feel.

"Perhaps I did over estimate you attraction," he admitted darkly. "But you are overreacting."

"Am I? I was kidding myself when I thought we could be friends," she snapped. "You clearly only care about yourself, so I'll leave you to do just that. Go on-" she gestured to his chair. "Sit alone and admire your oh so important self. Don't let me interrupt your self worship with useless things such as my feelings – we both know you're above such things."

His eyes flicked over her face darkly as she stared at him, her chin tilted up in defiance.

"I am very angry right now," he said suddenly, in an eerily calm voice. "Perhaps you should go."

She looked at him, startled. If she looked closely, beneath his eyes, she could see a dark storm stirring. He was livid. He hid it well, but she had thoroughly pissed him off, it seemed.

"With pleasure." she said in a quiet, yet hateful voice.

She turned on her heel, storming up to the door and out of the hotel room. This time, however, he didn't even attempt to even try to stop her.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks before she even realized she was crying. A sob escaped her mouth, and she felt regret fill her body. Perhaps she shouldn't have said all of that to him. However, she couldn't help it when he had said those things to her so callously – especially on her birthday! She had responded in anger, humiliation, and dare she say it...rejection. And it hurt. What was worse, was she couldn't even escape him. She had to go back to that room eventually, and face him. How could she possibly do that now? What was worse – why did she even care so much? She hadn't reacted like someone that had a tiny crush on someone, that was for sure. What did any of this even mean? She didn't even know. For the first time in her life, she was at a loss. She _shouldn't_ have cared so much. Yes, it was mean of him to say. And yes, she had every right to be angry at his callous words...but her reaction was a little too heavy, and she was sure he knew it too. Then again, a small part of her felt that he needed to hear that. Their conversation yesterday had struck oddly with her, and she felt that he needed someone to look him in the eye and tell him the truth. Yes, she had been harsh...but what she said...it was true. Surely, he knew that too?

_'Did it ever occur to you that I do not want companionship? I like being alone.' _his words echoed in her mind. _'I'm a dishonest, cheating human being who hates losing...Love blinds people...It blinds them from the truth, and from logic.' _

She frowned as his words continued to echo in her mind.

_'There are monsters in this world. Monsters that are evil to the core. They do not seek redemption, because they do not want it. They feel no remorse, because they are not even capable of it. They completely lack empathy of any kind...'_

She rubbed her temples, thinking hard. The way he had said that...it was almost as if he had personal experience with evil—Not just case work. It was too serious...too personal. He couldn't have possibly been referring to himself, could he? Sure, he was a liar and a cheat...but she did not believe him to be truly _evil_.

_'You never thought Peterson was evil, either,' _a small voice in the back of her mind said, making her scowl. It was true, she hadn't thought Peterson was evil. Was that the reason why L could see the evil in others so quickly? Was it because he could recognize something in them, that also existed in himself? But...he had saved her from Peterson. Hadn't he? If he was a monster, wouldn't he have allowed it to happen? But then again, there might be things she didn't even know. He could have had other reasons for what he did. Like she had said, not everything was black and white. He had given them a place to stay, of course, he had offered to give them their own room...but her brother had refused. Perhaps he had only allowed them to stay with him to keep them safe. Not because he cared, but because he couldn't have them being murdered. It seemed logical enough, now that she had all the information on Peterson.

Still, she couldn't help but to regret her venomous words. Even though his words had struck her to her very core...for some unknown reason.

"You're so stupid!" she said, entering the elevator. She didn't know where she was going to go, but she couldn't go back and face L. At least, not yet. She'd have to eventually, but she intended to take her sweet time.

"What have you done..." she said out loud in a weak voice, burying her face in her hands as the elevator came to the bottom floor.

* * *

**A/N: I know...I made L harsh. But, this is how I see him. He will not change over night. He, himself, said he was a monster. I believe this behavior is completely in character for him. He isn't a fluffy marshmallow that will skip in the field of love at first chance...if you catch my drift xD anyway, I'm really curious at what you guys think of this chapter. Please let me know! **

**Ah, I'm am so addicted to this story. I can seem to stop typing! I'm going to have carpel tunnel before I even finish it D: This story is likely to be VERY long, btw. **


	8. Chapter Eight

**A/N: Yes, another creepily long chapter...already. Thank you so much for your flattering reviews. It really puts a smile on my face! **

**Disclaimer:...I don't own Death Note. But, I do own Ellie and Johnny xD**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Ellie walked into the hotel lobby, wiping her eyes as she pulled her phone from her pocket. She saw quite a few birthday texts from her friends, but she'd reply to them later.

Sitting down in one of the lobby chairs, she bit her lip as she thought of something to do. Instantly, she dialed Jessica's number, hoping she'd pick up.

_'Heyyy there, birthday girl!' _

Ellie smiled in relief as her best friend answered her phone.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could come pick me up?" she asked instantly. "I figured we could go out and spend some time together for my birthday?" she really hoped she wasn't busy.

_'You read my mind!' _Jessica laughed. _'I was going to take you birthday shopping anyway!' _

Ellie laughed. Her friend was very rich, and insisted on buying her insane amounts of things on special occasions. It made Ellie uncomfortable, but it seemed to make Jessica happy.

"You don't have to-"

_'Don't start this with me, you'll know it'll get you nowhere!' _Jessica interrupted. _'Now, where am I picking you up from? Your house?' _

"Um—no, actually..." Ellie paused. She'd have to make up an excuse for why she was at this hotel. "I'm at the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica-"

_'Whhhaaattt?!' _Jessica gasped. _'Why are you there? Spending a romantic night with your new rich boyfriend that you have yet to tell me about?' _

"No!" Ellie exclaimed, flushing. "I'm helping my brother with an investigation, and the quarters are set up here..."

_'Okay...Well, I'll be there in about twenty minutes!' _Jessica said excitedly, and Ellie heard her turn her car on. Well, that was quick. Then again, Jessica never hesitated at the chance to go shopping.

"Thanks, see you then!" Ellie said, trying to sound as perky as possible. Maybe a shopping trip was exactly what she needed to keep her mind off...L. Maybe she could even tell Jessica about what happened? After all, she'd never know that he was really L, if Jessica even knew who L was in the first place. But, she had a feeling what Jessica would say...that he was a total jerk and for Ellie to stop thinking about him. Not that she'd be wrong, but for some reason, Ellie just didn't want to hear that.

She felt like she was losing her mind. Since when did her admiration turn into attraction? She was sure that had something to do with it. Didn't it? She couldn't even bare to think about his harsh words. An insecure thought even crossed her mind – perhaps he thought she was ugly? She had never thought that...but she didn't think of herself as a beauty, either. The only beautiful feature she had were her emerald eyes that she had inherited from her father. But, something told her that physical appearance had nothing to do with what he said. She could have looked like a runway model, and she was sure he still would have shot her down, regardless.

"Miss Lafleur?"

Ellie kept her eyes down, even as she heard Watari's voice.

"Hi, Watari..." she said in a low voice, keeping her eyes on her lap. Did L actually send him after her again?

She felt the couch move beside her, and she assumed Watari had taken a seat next to her.

"Your boss is an asshole..." she said dejectedly, not looking at him as she heard him chuckle.

"I can agree that Matthew is very insensitive..." he said quietly. "I do not believe the man has a sensitive bone in his body. He has always been that way."

"He humiliated me, Watari," she said, finally bringing her red eyes up to look at him. "I said some things to him that I shouldn't have, and now he hates me..." she sniffed. "And you probably do too."

"You are a good person, Miss Lafleur," Watari said, looking sternly at her. "I do not believe I could ever _hate_ you, and I don't believe Matthew could either – despite what he may think. He does not have a legitimate reason to hate you."

Ellie's heart dropped. He told Watari he hated her?! That was a little bit harsh...

"He said he hated me?!" she squeaked, new tears threatening to leak out of her eyes.

"No, Miss Lafleur," he said in a soft voice. "But, he is rather worked up at the moment...Actually, I haven't seen him show so much emotion in years-"

"Too bad it's anger." she said in a sad voice, resisting the urge to smack herself.

Watari chuckled at her, shaking his head.

"How can I face him now? I mean, I've found a way to avoid him for at least a few hours," she said lowly. "But, I can't avoid him for forever. I have to go back in that room eventually..."

"I wouldn't concern myself with that," Watari said, smiling. "Matthew may be childish, but he's not going to argue with you when you return."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Ellie groaned. "I'd rather he'd argue with me than sit there and...do that dark stare thing that he does."

Watari blinked at her, then began laughing and shaking his head.

"I will not lie and say it won't be uncomfortable and awkward, at least, for you," he smiled. "But it will pass. All things like this eventually will."

"So, you know what he said to me?" she asked, looking away and turning red in embarrassment. Great, that was just fantastic.

"Yes, I over heard," he said, the smile falling from his wrinkled face. "I will not pick sides. But yes, I am aware of everything that occurred. I am not angry with you, or with Matthew. I am simply a bystander, helping if that is what is needed of me."

"Even if you aren't picking sides, I appreciate it, Watari," Ellie smiled weakly.

"HEY GIRL!"

Ellie jumped in her seat, whipping around to see her blonde friend bouncing towards her.

Ellie immediately stood, looking at Watari. He immediately stood, bowed slightly, and walked away without a word.

"Who's that?" Jessica asked, pulling off her sunglasses.

"Oh, er – that was a guy that works at the hotel," Ellie said quickly. "Hey, you look nice!" she said, changing the subject and motioning towards Jessica's outfit to distract her.

She was wearing a small, pink, dress with black high heels.

"You like it?!" she exclaimed, spinning around. "It's Chanel – I just got it yesterday!"

"Yeah, I mean, its very you and cute!" Ellie said, nodding and smiling.

Jessica's eyes flicked over Ellie's outfit, making a feeling of dread fill her instantly.

"Honey, what are you wearing?" Jessica said, pointing a manicured finger at her.

"Um, clothes?" Ellie said sarcastically, raising her eyebrow.

"But its your birthday, sweetie!" Jessica exclaimed, grabbing Ellie's not manicured hands. "You're not supposed to look scruffy on your birthday! You're supposed to dress up-"

"Ohh, gee," Ellie said, jerking her hands away. "Thanks best friend!"

"You know what I mean, silly!" Jessica said, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the door.

"Yeah, I know, I usually do dress up on my birthday," Ellie said, walking up to Jessica's red, BMW convertible she had pulled out front. "I just wasn't feeling it this year..."

Ellie got in the passenger seat while Jessica eyed her suspiciously.

"Alright, spill," Jessica said, jumping in the car. "Who is he and what did he do?"

_'I should have known she'd be able to tell right away...' _Ellie thought as Jessica turned the car on and quickly pulled out of the hotel parking lot.

Ellie groaned as Swedish House Mafia starting blaring through Jessica's speakers. Don't get her wrong, they were alright...they just weren't her cup of tea. Whereas Jessica absolutely loved them.

"Just this guy my brother is working with..."

"Ohhh an older guy, huh?" Jessica said, pulling up her sunglasses and winking, making Ellie flush.

"No!" she exclaimed. "Well, he's twenty four-"

"Hot."

"Jess!" Ellie yelled, laughing and smacking her friend on the arm as 'Miami 2 Ibiza' blared through her speakers.

"Well, what happened?" Jessica laughed. "And why didn't you tell me?"

"Well...I just recently realized I liked him," Ellie explained, pulling her hair out of her face as it whipped around crazily because of the convertible top being down.

"And?" Jessica urged.

"And...He told me he'd never have feelings for me-"

"WHAT?"

"I know...but you don't understand," Ellie said, not sure why she was trying to make excuses for L. "He's different...I don't even think he's had a girlfriend before. He has a very anti-social personality..."

"So, you like an older guy that is a shut in?" Jessica asked indecorously, pulling into a shopping mall. "Let me guess, does he live with his mom?"

"_NO_!" Ellie said as the pulled into a parking space. "He's like a genius. I didn't even tell him I liked him, he just knew-"

"Creepy."

"_But, _I still like him, and I don't even know _why_..." She continued, ignoring Jessica's comment. "I've considered that I only want him because I can't have him, but you know I've never been like that-"

"All girls want a man they can't have," Jessica interrupted after they got out of the car. "Where's the fun of getting a guy that already worships the ground you walk on? It's true, girls like a challenge. And maybe, he's the biggest challenge you'd ever face. Its horrible, but sometimes, being rejected only makes you more determined, making you like that person even more. Girls got the shit end with emotions on that."

Ellie paused in walking. God...maybe Jessica _was _right. Was that true? After all, she couldn't think of a man that would be more difficult to like than L.

"What's his name?" Jessica asked, walking into the mall entrance. "And what does he look like?"

_'Should I tell her?' _Ellie thought, glancing at her friend. It wouldn't hurt to give an overview. It wasn't like she was going to pull out a picture of him and declare that he was L, the greatest detective in the world.

"His name is Harry," she said with a smile, picking the name she had given him. "He's quite tall, thin, has shaggy black hair, and grey eyes..." Ellie paused, thinking about his orbs. "Like, his eyes are a steel grey – and very intense...I've never seen eyes like his before-" she paused to see Jessica was looking at her with her eyebrow raised.

"Should I leave you to your fantasies for a moment?" she asked sarcastically.

Ellie blushed. "No! I'm just saying his eyes are unusual, that's all."

"I think you have a definite crush," Jessica said, nodding and looking around through the store windows.

"Well, its hard not to," Ellie agreed. "I mean, he's not conventionally handsome – but there's just something about him, you know? He's so smart, and does cute things...and he has really nice hands."

"Attention to insignificant detail," Jessica said, laughing. "Oh, you poor girl. You've got it bad."

Ellie sighed—maybe she did. "It doesn't matter. He already told me, very bluntly, I might add, that he'd never reincorporate any attraction so...that's that." she said dejectedly.

"Men are liars," Jessica said, flipping her straight blonde hair over her shoulder. "You should know that. They don't know what the hell they want, just like everyone else."

_'L is a liar...' _Ellie thought, making herself pause. Had he lied to her? Surely, he didn't. Why would he?

_'No, stop!' _she thought to herself. That was a pathetic thought. If a guy had lied before, and then denied attraction, that must mean he was lying. No, she wouldn't stoop to that. That was just sad.

"Yeah, I'm sure he is a liar," Ellie said, shrugging her shoulders as they walked into Neimen Marcus, the store that carried all different designers.

"Now, lets find each other an out fit!" she said, pulling her over to the Gucci section. "I'll pick one out for you, and you'll pick one out for me!"

Ellie smiled, slightly hesitant. God only knew what Jessica would pick out for her.

Jessica didn't give her much time to answer as she darted towards the shoe section.

Ellie sighed and began looking through the clothes, trying to keep her mind off her encounter with L.

Finally, Ellie managed to pick out a laced, white mini dress for Jessica, along with some dark purple pumps. It wasn't Ellie's style, but she knew it was Jessica's.

Right on cue, Jessica came running up to her with clothes in her arms.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, looking at the out fit Ellie picked out. "That is precious! Here, I picked this out for you!"

Ellie hesitantly took the dark blue fabric from Jessica, holding it in front of her.

It was a sleeveless baby doll dress, and the bottom ended in different layers. It was somewhat modest, and Ellie thanked heaven for that.

She smiled at Jessica. "I love it!"

"Its a perfect birthday dress for you," Jessica squealed, clapping her hands. "Now, here's the shoes!" she said, shoving some white, sandal heels in her hands.

"Shouldn't I wear flats with this?" Ellie frowned, looking at the shoes. She hated heels. She always felt like a damn giant in them. Not to mention, she walked awkwardly in them.

"No, these will look much better!" Jessica said, putting her hands on her hips. "You are going to knock that asshole dead, and I'm going to make sure of it!"

Ellie paled. That hadn't even occurred to her. Maybe she shouldn't dress up for her birthday? She didn't want L to get the wrong thoughts...she was suddenly getting nervous, and had a strong urge to go back to the hotel room, dressed in a moo-moo.

"Onnn second thought..." Ellie said, gulping. "Maybe I should just get a nice pair of jeans? Maybe a pretty shirt? That will be nice for my birthday, and then-"

"No, I know what you're doing," Jessica said, rolling her eyes. "You think that since he rejected you, that he's going to think you dressed up to show him what he's missing out on – am I right?"

Ellie scrunched her lips. "Maybe...like I said, he's really smart and-"

"And trust me, he's just as clueless about women as all other men are," she cut in. "Do you _really_ think he's going to think like a vengeful woman and come to that conclusion? If so, I think you're putting too much faith in him."

Jessica had a point. "He might. I really don't know."

"He won't!" Jessica said, rolling her eyes. "That is a female trick, and it works. If it didn't and men had us figured out, we wouldn't do it anymore, now would we?"

Ellie sighed, looking at the blue dress again. Jessica was right, she was probably just being over paranoid. After all, it wasn't an extremely fancy dress. It was just cute and modest. Against her better judgment, she nodded at Jessica, defeated as she laughed at her.

"Now, go put these on and I'll go ring it up at the cashier," Jessica said, making Ellie look down at the price tag.

_'Two hundred and seventy-five dollars?!' _she thought, horrified.

"No, Jessica, this is too expensive-"

"Oh, shut up, will you?" she said, rolling her eyes and pulling out a credit card. "You know its fine. It'll be your birthday present!"

"If you're sure..." Ellie said hesitantly, looking uncomfortable.

"I'm positive! Now, go put it on!" Jessica said, grabbing her outfit and running up to the cashier.

Ellie smiled and went into the dressing room, stripping off her clothes and slipping the dress over head. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror, slightly surprised. The dress wasn't very tight, but it was a perfect fit. It flowed gracefully from the bust, and it wasn't too short, either.

She actually smiled at her reflection, pulling her hair around her shoulder as she slipped on the white heels. Her feet wobbled slightly, making her groan. But, they weren't too high, and she was sure she could at least walk in them. The only problem was, she felt uncomfortably tall.

_'Am I taller than L in these?' _she thought, slightly worried. _'Urgh, it doesn't matter!' _she chastised herself. With his slouch, it wouldn't be that hard to be taller than him, anyway.

She picked up her clothes in her hand, and walked out of the dressing room, only to see Jessica standing there in her new outfit, striking a model pose.

Ellie laughed as Jessica moved her hips. "You look great!" she said, and she meant it. At times, she found herself slightly jealous of her. Jessica was beautiful, with her honey blonde hair and big doe eyes. Guys loved her, as they should. But at times, it made Ellie feel slightly UN-pretty, and kind of manish with her usual style, compared to Jessica's extremely girly one.

"_I _look good?" Jessica said, look over Ellie. "_You _look fabulous yourself, legs!"

Ellie flushed, looking down. "I'm not too tall?"

"No! There's no such thing, honey!" Jessica exclaimed. "Tall is good—it means long legs."

"I guess..." Ellie trailed off, looking down and feeling like a chicken.

"Stop being self-conscious," Jessica said, rolling her eyes. "You're gorgeous, you big dork. This Harry guy is a dumb ass."

Ellie blinked, then started laughing. "Well, there's a lot of words I'd use to describe him...but unfortunately, dumb is not one of them-"

"He's a dumb ass if he doesn't like you back!" Jessica cut in sternly. "Straight up DUR!"

Ellie laughed as Jessica made her own, 'DUR' face, slapping her chest. Jessica handed her a bag, and she put her old clothes in it.

"Now, I'm going to tell you how to reel this guy in..." Jessica said, taking her arm and leading her out of the dressing room and store.

"No, Jessica, you know I'm not-"

"I know you're not-" Jessica rolled her eyes. "You're only super confident when you're pissed off-" Ellie flushed. "We need to bring a little of that into all your moods."

"Easy for you to say," she said. "I told him off, stormed off, and now I have to face him again..."

"Be confident!" Jessica exclaimed. "Don't let him win. Don't let him think he got to you! Show him that you couldn't care less that he rejected you. I don't care who he is, it will throw him off – bad."

Ellie frowned. Act like nothing was wrong? Sure, that was appealing. She just wasn't sure she could even do it...then again, it would be better than stuttering and avoiding all eye contact like an idiot.

"You know what?" Ellie said, determination filling her. "I'm actually going to try that..."

"That's my girl!" Jessica said, nodding. "Trust me, he won't know what to think. Lets see how he reacts, thinking your attraction to him completely dropped off the face of the planet. He'll then see it as a challenge, and he might even attempt to divert your attention back to him. BUT, he can never know that its still bothering you. That means he wins, and he'll continue being an ass."

_'Pretty sure he'll continue being an ass, no matter what I do,' _Ellie thought sadly.

"Can you do my makeup?" Ellie asked suddenly, turning towards Jessica to see her eyes light up. Ellie rarely wore makeup, and she could do it okay...but Jessica was practically a makeup artist.

"Oh, you bet I can!" Jessica said, pulling her towards a bathroom.

Jessica dumped her makeup bag on the counter and Ellie started feeling regret when she saw the amount of makeup she was pulling out.

After what felt like an eternity later, Ellie was finally allowed to look in the mirror.

She gasped in shock. Her eyes were smoky, bringing out the green in her eyes. She had light foundation on to even out her skin tone; with a slight dusting of peach blush. Her lips were glossed in a light pink color, and it brought everything else together. It wasn't too heavy, but she felt like she looked drastically different.

"Amazing what a little mascara can do, eh?" Jessica said, smearing some bright red lipstick on her pouty lips.

"Yeah, but it looks great!" Ellie smiled, running her fingers through her curls.

"Oh yeah, you make that asshole eat his words," Jessica smirked, making Ellie flush. Now, she didn't know about that...she was mostly just doing all of this to feel better. Also, if she was going to act like nothing was wrong, it would help if she felt like she looked nice.

"Okay, we've got more shopping to do!" Jessica said, pulling her out the bathroom.

Three hours later, Ellie was sitting in her BMW with her shoes off, rubbing her feet and groaning.

"You don't wear heels enough, that's your problem." Jessica said, nodding.

"Ugh, and this is why," Ellie responded, slipping her feet back in the heels as they pulled into the hotel. Her heart started thumping heavily. This was it, she was going to have to face L...

"It'll be okay, honey," Jessica said, obviously seeing the look on her face. "Just remember, acting like nothing is wrong is the key—And remember everything else we talked about. If he says any of those things to you, you know what to say."

"Yeah, I remember..." Ellie smiled, not telling her friend that she omitted over half the things, thinking, _'Yeah, there's no way in hell I'm saying that.' _

It was only one, and she assumed that Johnny had yet to wake up. Watari had probably told him where she was if he was awake, because surely, he would have blown up her phone by now.

"Don't forget your bags," Jessica said, as Ellie started to walk away from the car in a daze.

"Oh, yeah...right," Ellie said, shaking her head and pulling about ten bags out of the back seat.

"Remember, make him regret it!" Jessica said, wiggling her eyebrows and smiling.

"I know, I know," Ellie laughed, but she still felt like she was going to vomit.

"Let me know, I'll text you!" Jessica said, waving as she pulled away from the hotel.

_'Oh God...I don't think I can do this...' _Ellie thought as she walked into the hotel, even her feet were wobbling slightly. She couldn't figure out if it was because her legs were shaking, or it was the heels. Probably a combination of both.

_'Act like nothing is wrong...act like nothing is wrong...' _she chanted like a mantra in her head as she walked in the elevator, pushing the button and watching it climb floors.

_'Don't even acknowledge him...just ignore him and act like it doesn't bother you...you can do it!' _

She walked out of the elevator, and down the long hallway, her heels making a clacking sound with every step she took on the marble floor.

_'You can do this!' _she thought to herself as she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

She heard someone walking up to the door, and her breathing stopped. What if it was him?

_'Okay, I can't do this!' _she thought to herself, panicking as her body jerked to the side, contemplating if she could make it to the stairwell before someone answered the door. Probably not, considering she was wearing heels.

_'Stupid shoes!' _she hissed to herself, hating them for ruining her escape plans.

She didn't have much time to think, though, as the door was flung open and to her complete horror, of course, it was L.

He was looking as neutral as ever, but she didn't miss the slight widening of his eyes and the shocked look as his eyes flicked over her quickly.

Her heart was beating so loud, she wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it. But somehow, she managed to pull her face into a completely blank and neutral expression. Perhaps she _had_ learned something from him.

Saying nothing, she walked past him and in the room, making sure her legs didn't wobble in the heels.

Faintly, she heard him shuffling behind her as she sat her bags down, and walked into the kitchen, fully intent on getting another Red Bull.

The shuffling didn't stop as she entered the kitchen, and she slightly paused. Why was he following her?

"Perhaps we should have a word." L's monotone voice came from behind her as she opened the fridge, pulling out a Red Bull.

_'What did Jessica say to say to that? Think!' _she thought to herself panicked, but pulling her face neutral and turning around to look at him.

"About what?" she said, looking as uninterested as possible as she sipped her Red Bull.

His eyes darkened slightly, and her heart gave a violent leap. "You know what about."

"Ohhh, I see," she laughed. "Yeah, um, how about we just don't talk about that? It doesn't matter anyway, does it? I'm completely cool with it, aren't you?"

He was watching her with a calculating expression. She struggled to keep her face uninterested, even as he had a very interested look on his face.

"No, I believe we have a few things to discuss-"

"What could we possibly have to talk about?" she laughed, shaking her head. "I don't have anything to say to you, Matthew."

His eyes darkened as they watched her. She inwardly smiled. Perhaps some brutal honesty? Maybe then you'll see how it feels...

"I was under the impression that I was, 'Harry' to you." He said, barely moving his lips.

_'Take away everything you've said to make him feel special.' _Jessica's words echoed in her mind.

"Yes, well..." she said, hopping up on one of the stools. "I figured that was silly. After all, everyone is calling you Matthew, it makes no sense for me not to do the same thing."

"I suppose," he said dully, looking at her suspiciously. "In any case, I believe we should discuss the episode that occurred this morning."

"What's to discuss?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders. "I had a few fleeting thoughts, you made yourself clear, and so did I. It's not a problem. Sorry, but I don't really care."

"I don't believe that." his voice said sternly, looking at her calculatingly.

"I don't care what you believe either," she said, shrugging again. "Hey, you're entitled to your opinion, buddy. You can believe me or not believe me. Doesn't really matter either way."

She looked down at her nails, picking at them and trying to appear as bored as possible.

_'When he speaks to you, look bored and as if there are a million other things you would rather be doing.' _

She looked around him, looking really haughty and bored – as though she was internally wishing he would hurry up and wrap this up, leaving her alone. She was well aware of his eyes staring hard into her, though, and she forced her muscles to stay still so she wouldn't shiver under his gaze.

"Sooo..." she said, looking at him and leaning forward in the stool, raising her eyebrows. "Is there anything else in particular you wanted to talk about?"

He slowly blinked, staring at her and not responding. She knew he was blank, but somehow, she just knew that his mind was completely thrown. She almost wanted to do a victory dance.

She raised her eyebrow at his lack of response. "Well, I'll take that as a no." she said, smiling sweetly as she hopped down from the stool.

His eyes followed her every move as she walked past him, bending down and picking up her bags. She turned to face him.

"Nice talking to you, Matthew." she smirked, and turned on her heel and walked towards the bedroom her brother and her shared. She felts L's penetrating stare on her back all the way there, and she finally let her muscles in her face relax.

She calmly walked into the bedroom, but the second she dropped her bags, she buried her face in her hands and groaned.

"Ellie?"

Ellie jumped, momentarily forgetting about her brother being in there. He was sitting up on the bed, looking at her with sleepy eyes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Did I wake you up?" she asked, walking over to him and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No, I just woke up a few moments ago," he yawned. "My phone rang. Your birthday present is here!"

"It is?" she asked, feeling slight excitement build up. Last year, he had gotten her Snowbell, so she knew that whatever her brother got her, he'd like it.

"Well, don't you look pretty!" he said, his eyes focusing on her. "Let me guess, you went with Jessica?"

Ellie smirked. "Of course I did."

"Figures, well, let me get changed and I'll meet you in the main room so we can go get your present," he said, smiling as he got out of bed.

"Okay!" Ellie said excitedly, jumping up and almost losing her balance because of her shoes. Thankfully, Johnny grabbed her arm and steadied her.

"Please don't break a bone on your birthday," he said, shaking his head and smirking.

"I won't!" she said, sprinting towards the door, she paused for moments, remembering L would be out there. She gulped, and shakily opened the door and walked out, closing it behind her.

She looked over to the main area, and sure enough, there sat L, watching her blankly over his cup of tea.

Forcing her face neutral, she causally walked over to the couch, sitting down and crossing her legs, waiting for her brother.

"Is your brother awake?" L asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Yes, he's getting dressed and he's going to take me to my birthday present," she said, shaking her foot and avoiding looking at him.

"Mmm," he responded, falling silent again.

_'Was he attempting to make conversation?' _she thought to herself, sneaking a glance at him out of the corner of her eye, only to see him leaning forward, watching her with his unblinking stare.

_'Point out his faults.' _

"Why do you always stare at me?" she asked causally, pretending to pick lint off her dress.

"I'm not staring at you," he said dully, making her look at him indecorously.

"You're kidding, right?" she laughed. "I'm surprised there aren't holes burned into my back and head from you."

He slowly blinked, bringing his thumb up to his mouth. "Does it bother you?"

_'Don't let him know anything he does bothers you.' _

"No, not really," she shrugged. "I was just curious, is all."

He didn't respond, but looked at her.

"I may not be able to play that video game with you," he said, filling the silence. "I'll be quite busy."

Her heart fell slightly, but she rallied almost at once. "Whatever," she said, looking away. "I understand."

"..."

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

Ellie looked over at him. "Excuse me?" she asked, her heart thumping. There was no way he'd noticed anything...

"This passive aggressive behavior," he clarified, watching her. "Clearly, you are still angry with me. I understand, and I apologize."

_'If he points out your behavior,_ _hinting that you're acting that way because you're hurt, shoot him down.' _

"Um, what?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "I'm not angry, I don't know where that impression comes from."

"This isn't you," he responded dully, watching her.

"Oh, see, that's where you're wrong," she said sarcastically, irritated. "Because, yeah, you don't really _know me._"

"I know more about you than you think I do," he said, tilting his head down.

"Same goes for you," she said, blandly, not missing the fear the momentarily crossed his eyes at her words.

"Do explain," he said in an eerily calm voice.

She was struggling now more than ever. How the hell could she keep this up? It just wasn't _her. _

"I believe I made myself pretty clear this morning," she said, raising her eyebrow. "I've let it go, but you're the only one that seems to be having problems letting it go."

"So, you meant everything you said to me?" he asked in a deep voice, his eyes narrowing.

_'Stand your ground.' _

"The truth comes out when you're angry," she said calmly. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have said it. Surely, you must know that."

"What I _know _is that you're angry at me over my rejection," he said sternly, but she could see the anger creeping into his vision.

"Can you get over yourself for two seconds?" she asked, repeating her words from this morning. "My God, why do you _insist _on talking about this?!"

"Because, I have an instinct that in your anger, you're attempting to play a game with me," he said darkly. "And I am not playing, nor am I amused. This is not a competition."

"Why not? Scared of a little competition?" she smirked, trying to rile him. From the look in his eyes, it was working. All she had to do was make sure she didn't lose her head, and she'd have the upper hand.

"No, I'm not," he said darkly, gripping his knees. "You know I hate to lose—are you sure you want to play this game with me?"

She heard her brother walking towards the bedroom door.

_'Always leave the room with something that will stick with him—making him think.' _

Her heart was pounding so drastically, she was sure it would burst from her chest.

"A game?" she asked innocently. "I can't play a game that I've already won..."

He looked like a deer caught in headlights. His hands were gripping his knees to tightly, his knuckles had turned completely white. His locks almost obscured his dark eyes, and he opened his mouth to respond, only to snap it shut because her brother walked out of the bedroom.

"Hey, Ellie, ready for your present?" he asked, clapping his hands together. He actually looked really excited.

"Yup!" she said, jumping from the couch as though her and L hadn't had a very tense moment.

"Hey, I know you already so no, but are you sure you don't want to come, Matthew?" Johnny asked, turning towards L and making her visibly tense.

"Mmm, yes, I believe I will accompany you," he said, making Ellie's head snap to him in surprise. He hopped out of his chair, slipping on his worn sneakers.

"Great!" Johnny said, turning towards her and grinning goofily. "Come on!"

He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door, causing her to stumble slightly and scowl at him. He didn't notice as he pulled her out the door, down the hallway, and into the elevator.

She avoided looking at L, who she was certain was staring at her.

_'Why'd he decide to come?' _Ellie thought, glancing over at him. _'Probably because I got the last word in...and he couldn't stand the let me leave and leave it that way. That would mean he would have lost. Man, he really does hate losing...' _she smirked to herself, glancing over at him and giving him a knowing look.

His ebony eyes darkened on her, narrowing in anger.

The elevator dinged, signaling they were at the bottom.

"Close your eyes!" Johnny said, going behind her and putting his hands over her eyes, obscuring her vision.

"Johnny! I can't see!" Ellie wailed, trying to pry his fingers off.

"That's the point, dork." he laughed, making her groan and allowing him to lead her God knows where.

She felt herself being led outside. That was weird...Why was he taking her outside?

"Surprise!" he yelled, taking his hands off her eyes.

Her jaw dropped, and she stared in complete and utter shock.

"W-what...a-are you s-serious?!" she gaped.

"I hope you like the color!" Johnny said, walking over to the light-blue, Mustang convertible in front of her.

Ellie couldn't move. She was in shock. She just stood there, staring and gaping.

"Its a 2010, Mustang GT," he said, patting the hood. "Five speed, black leather interior, and I even made sure it had a dock for your iPod – so you can listen to your wretched music." he grinned as she gaped. "And you know the best part? Five star safety rating!"

_'It's beautiful...' _Ellie thought, tears welling up in her eyes. He couldn't afford this, could he?

"Oh God, she's in shock Matthew," Johnny laughed. "We may have to slap her..."

"J-johnny—w-we can't afford this..." she said quietly, feeling very overwhelmed.

"With as many hours as I've been working, I can afford this," he said, laughing. "Besides, I don't want to brag or anything...but your big bro has got some pretty _sweet _connections."

"I-I...really?" she squeaked. "I-it's mine? A-are you sure?"

"Yes, sweetie," he smiled, holding the keys up. "It's all yours."

Ellie couldn't help it, she burst into tears and ran up to her brother, wrapping her arms around him in a bone crunching hug.

"E-Ellie...baby, you're hurting me..." Johnny groaned, and she instantly let go, looking at him with big eyes.

"Aw, don't cry sweetie!" he said, putting his finger up to wipe her cheek. "You'll mess up your pretty makeup!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said, jumping up and down, taking the keys from him. "I love you, I love you, I love you!"

He laughed, rubbing his hand over her head, messing up her hair. But, she didn't even care.

"I'm driving!" she said, pulling Johnny to the passenger side as she ran around the car.

"Come on, Matthew!" Johnny said. "I'll even let you have shotgun!"

Ellie's smile fell from her face momentarily, but she put it back on as she looked at L, beaming.

He blinked slowly, looking at her. She wondered if he'd just turn around and walk back in the hotel. He was surely rude enough to do something like that.

Johnny hopped in the backseat, stretching out and putting his hands behind his head.

To her surprise, L shuffled over to the passenger seat, sliding in swiftly. She smiled, and slid in the drivers seat.

She buckled her seat belt, and stuck the key in the engine, turning it on with a roar.

"That's a nice sounding engine, right there." Johnny said from the back.

She looked over at L, who had his knees pulled up.

"Nope, this is my car and I demand you buckle up!" she said, smirking at him as he glowered at her.

To her surprise, though, he slowly put his legs down and reached for his seat belt, buckling it quickly. He probably didn't want to argue with her in front of her brother...which would have been a very bad idea, indeed.

"Now, Ellie, this car has a lot more power than my SUV, so be care-"

Ellie hit the gas, jerking them all forward quickly by accident. She blushed as she felt L's eyes glaring at her.

"Ellie, dammit!" Johnny sighed.

"Sorry..." she said, but then burst into laughter as she pulled out of the hotel, switching gears and flying down the road.

"Slow down, iron foot!" Johnny laughed as she changed gears, making the engine roar. She felt exhilarated. She'd never really been a car person, but this was _awesome_.

"Lets see how the sound system sounds," she said, glancing at L and grinning wickedly as she turned on the radio.

She found the hits station, and immediately, Nicki Minaj's 'Pound the Alarm.' started blaring. She scrunched her nose, looking over at L, to see him staring at the radio with a disgusted look on his face.

Ellie starting laughing, snapping his attention to her, making his disgusted look drop to be replaced by his usual blank one.

Well, things that broke L's stoic stare: Invading his personal space, and Nicki Minaj.

"What's the matter, Matthew?" she asked innocently. "Not a Nicki Minaj fan?"

"I have no clue who that is," he said, turning to look at the radio with distaste. "But I do not like it."

She had half a mind to leave it there to annoy him, but unfortunately, it was annoying her too.

Hitting the 'seek' button, she hoped they could find something they all could enjoy...well, something her and Johnny could enjoy, and L could tolerate.

It stopped on the rock station, and luckily, 'Pour Some Sugar on me.' by Def Leppard had just started.

"Now, _that's_ music!" Johnny said brightly from the back seat. "Turn it up, girl!"

Ellie laughed, turning the volume up.

"If you don't like bad singing, plug your ears now, Matthew," Johnny laughed, as he started singing the beginning horribly, making Ellie laugh, give a mocking disgusted look, and turn the song up to drown him out.

"DEMOLITION WOMAN CAN I BE YOUR MAN?!" Johnny yelled, making Ellie laugh even harder.

"Come on, girl, I know you know the words!" he said, leaning between her and L. "I better hear some singing up here!"

Ellie shyly looked at L, who had his head turned, watching Johnny in shock. She started laughing again at the astonished look on his face at her brothers behavior.

"Pour some sugar on meee!" Ellie sang, deciding to have fun with her brother, even if L was there. She looked in her rear view mirror. "Oh, in the name of lovee...Pour some sugar on mee...come on fire me up...pour your sugar on me...I can't get enough!"

"I'M HOT, STICKY SWEET, FROM MY HEAD TO MY FEET, YEAH!" Ellie and Johnny yelled in unison, laughing.

Ellie couldn't stop laughing long enough to sing anymore. Mostly because Johnny was in the back-seat, getting down with the guitar solo with air-guitar and everything.

She kept laughing, looking over at L for the first time to see if he was still watching her brother. He wasn't, and her smile fell slightly as she saw his eyes were glued to her face. Apparently, he had been watching her sing, if the amused look in his eyes was anything to go by.

She flushed, thanking God she had some foundation on to hide it this time. She tore her eyes away, looking back at Johnny, who was still playing air guitar.

"IN THE NAME OF LOVVEEE...SUGAR ME!" Johnny yelled, hitting his air guitar as the song ended.

"Bravo!" Ellie said, clapping her hand on the wheel and laughing.

"Why, thank you," Johnny said, giving a small bow. "I will be here all night."

Ellie laughed, shaking her head.

"Hey, lets eat!" Johnny said, sticking his head between them again. "Where you wanna eat, birthday girl?"

"Chuckie Cheese." she said, with a serious face, even though it twitched as Johnny looked horrified.

"Please, NO," Johnny said. "I'll get drunk, and beat the hell out of that mouse singing and dancing. I can't take that shit-"

Ellie roared laughing, picturing it in her mind. After all, that place was VERY annoying.

"If you don't have kids, and you're thinking about having them..." Ellie said, laughing. "Just go to Chuckie Cheese on Saturday—You'll leave there and go buy a dog."

"I know that's right," Johnny said, shaking his head and laughing. "Thank God they sell beer in that damn place."

"How about Red Lobster?" Ellie asked, thinking of Lobster Tail and shrimp.

"Sounds delicious!" Johnny said, looking to L. "Does that sound alright with you, Matthew?"

L had a pensive look on his face. Clearly, he had only expected a joy ride. He didn't expect to have to go into a restaurant.

"Do they have dessert?" he asked in a low voice.

"Oh, yeah!" she said, nodding. "They have cheesecake, ice cream, and I think they have regular cake too-"

"Alright, sounds fine to me." he said, looking away and sticking his thumb in his mouth as they pulled up to a red-light beside a Hummer.

"Yeah, I really like Red Lobster-"

"Heyyy there, baby!"

Ellie froze at the voice that was coming from the Hummer beside her. She didn't turn and look at the asshole that was cat calling at her, but instead focused on L. To her surprise, he had on his evil stare as he looked past her and at the Hummer.

"Oh, come on baby doll, don't be like that! Why don't you come over here with us, we'll show that pretty face a good time-"

"HEY!" roared Johnny from the back seat. "I'm a cop, and I have a gun—just thought I'd let you know..."

"Oh..._shit_!" she heard the guy say, and distinctively heard a window roll up. Clearly, Johnny had showed it to him.

Ellie's face felt like it was going to explode in heat at this. Why did this have to happen in front of L? She looked over at him again, to see he was looking straight ahead with a murderous look on his face. She saw that same expression on his face this morning, and she flinched slightly. She had to remind herself that surely, he couldn't be mad at her? He clearly hated men that acted like rapists. It pissed her off too.

"Fucking_ assholes_!" Johnny spat from behind her as they pulled away when the light turned green. "I was about to get out of this car and fucking-"

"It's alright, Johnny," Ellie said, cutting him off. "I'm not worried about it. They were just jerks."

"Yeah, but did you see the way he was looking-"

"No, and I don't wanna know!" she said, shaking her head and sighing.

"Alright, alright!" Johnny said, putting his hands up. His face looked very angry, though.

"Here we are," Ellie said, changing the subject as she pulled into the restaurant.

"Thank God, I'm so hungry!" Johnny said, jumping out the second she pulled into the parking place.

Ellie smiled, looking over at L. He still had that look on his face, and she looked down to see his hands clutching his knees so tightly that his tendons were sticking out.

"Er...are you okay?" she asked, it coming out before she could stop herself.

He slowly blinked, bringing his eyes to her.

"Yes, I am quite well." he said in a deep voice, reaching and unbuckling himself, exiting the car, and slamming the car door with a little more force than necessary.

She raised her eyebrows. Wow, he must really hate men like that, she concluded as she jumped out of her new car.

She smiled as she locked it with her key, silently saying goodbye to it as they walked towards the entrance.

L was shuffling behind them, and she started to wonder if he was going to sit oddly. She had a feeling he would.

The hostess showed them to their booth, and Johnny hopped in one side, staying in the middle.

"Move over, you big dork!" she said, pushing on his arm.

"No, you know I like the whole side to myself. I'm a pig and like lots of arm room," he said. "Besides, you don't mind sitting next to Matthew, do you?"

_'Yes, I do mind!' _she glared at her brother, trying to get her point across as L slid into the booth opposite of Johnny.

Johnny, apparently, didn't get the message as he instantly staring looking at the menu. She glared and sighed, walking up the booth where L was sitting, not looking at him and she quickly slid in beside him.

The table shook, and she jumped, slightly startled and looked at L.

He was frowning, trying to pull his legs up, but there wasn't enough room to squeeze them in between the booth and table. Clearly he had pushed on the table, but it wouldn't move and was bolted to the wall.

She couldn't help but to smirk as he gave up with an irritated look, sitting in a normal position. Well, it wasn't completely normal, as he was still extremely slouched.

She giggled a little, but fell silent when his annoyed stare at not being able to sit in his normal position fell on her.

"You don't need deductive reasoning ability to eat, Matthew," she clarified, raising her eyebrow at him.

He looked at her for moments, and then picked up the menu. She watched, amused, as he held it from the top – with his two pointers and thumbs.

Ellie shook her head and picked up the menu herself.

"Can I take your order?" the waitress said, coming up to the table.

"Yes, I will have the shrimp and crab," Johnny said instantly. "With the 8 oz. Steak, chopped onions, and a side of french fries."

"To drink?"

"Eh, bring me a Budweiser."

"And you?" she asked Ellie.

"Um...I'll have the shrimp scampi pasta," she said. "Mountain Dew to drink, please."

"And you...sir?" the waitress paused on L, seeing him holding the menu from the top part. She wasn't even hiding the fact that she was gaping at him like he was a weirdo, and for some reason, it made Ellie's blood boil.

"Mmm, yes, I'll have the cheesecake, with strawberry ice cream on the side. And I'll have sweet tea to drink." he said deeply, not looking at the waitress as he set the menu down.

The waitress kept staring, and Ellie had an urge to smack her.

"Oh...Okay, I'll get right on that..." the waitress said, still staring.

"Yeah, why don't _you _do that?" Ellie said darkly to her, making the waitress snap her eyes to her.

The waitress gave her a bitchy smile before she walked away, making Ellie twitch in irritation.

"Uh...what was that about?" asked Johnny with his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, nothing," Ellie said, picking at her napkin. "I just can't stand bitchy girls like her, that's all."

Johnny looked at Ellie for moments, then at L. "Must be one of those girl things I don't get. Y'know what I mean, Matthew?" Johnny laughed.

"Mmm," L responded, chewing on his thumb nail and glancing over at her.

She had a feeling that L knew exactly why she had snapped at her. She was wondering why she felt herself not as angry as she had been...she had abandoned Jessica's rules, but then again, she couldn't do it in front of Johnny – or he'd know something was up. And that wouldn't be good...Sure, he could have been better about what he said...but, could she really be infuriated with him because he didn't...have a small crush on her too? That was shallow and pathetic of her. Sure, she had gotten mad and told him off, which he had deserved...but, should she really be angry at him now? Every bone is her body was saying, 'no' she didn't have a right to be, that it would be irrational. Perhaps she already knew that, and that was why she had stopped being as angry without even realizing it. She couldn't deny it still hurt her feelings, though.

The waitress brought their drinks, and she couldn't help but to smirk when she saw the woman didn't dare look at L.

She took a few sips of her Mountain Dew as she watched L take about six sugar packets – pouring them in his already sweet tea, then stirring it.

"Man, how do you deal with all that sugar?" Johnny asked, staring at L's tea.

"I like sweets," L said calmly, taking another sugar packet and stirring it in the tea.

"I can see," Johnny said, laughing as he took a drink of his beer.

They fell into uncomfortable silence, and Ellie shifted awkwardly.

"Hey, Ellie," Johnny said suddenly. "Remember on your fifth birthday, you begged dad not to tell the restaurant people that it was your birthday, because you were shy and didn't want them singing to you?"

"Yes, I remember..." Ellie said suspiciously.

"Well, dad did it anyway and you started crying in the middle of the song, ran in the bathroom...and wouldn't come out the rest of the meal. I spent over an hour in the girls bathroom trying to get you out of the stall." he laughed, shaking his head and taking a drink of his beer.

Ellie flushed and looked over at L, seeing that he had that amused look in his eyes again, his finger in his mouth.

"I was five," she said in self-defense.

"I liked you when you were five," Johnny smirked. "Even though you cried a lot and watched way too much Inspector Gadget-"

"Hey!" Ellie exclaimed. "That was a good kids show!"

"Yeah, and I blame it for you wanting to be a detective."

"That's not all of it!" Ellie snapped, reddening.

"Fine, I blame Matthew too," Johnny smirked, looking at L. "God, you should have heard her before we met you. God, it was like you were her adult Inspector Gadget. 'Oh, he's _so_ great. Oh, did you hear about that case he solved? Oh, I want to meet him'-"

Ellie forcefully kicked her brother under the table, her face clearly mortified. She loved her brother, but he seriously didn't know when to stop and didn't realize he was embarrassing her a lot of times.

"OW! Watch it, Ellie!" Johnny groaned, reaching down and rubbing his leg. "Those things are like swords!"

"Well, if someone would shut their big fat mouth, maybe they wouldn't get kicked!" she said sternly, avoiding looking at L, even though she felt his stare on her.

"Here's your food!" the waitress interrupted, setting plates down in front of each of them. She looked, and surprisingly, the cheesecake L had was quite large, as was her pasta. But nothing beat the size of all of Johnny's food. Of course, she knew the he needed a lot of room as the multiple plates were sat down in front of him, but jeeze...she never expected him to tell her to sit next to L.

She was sitting on the extreme edge of the seat, careful not to accidentally invade his personal space or accidentally bump into him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched L pick the fork up in his cute way, spearing some of the cheesecake as she popped a shrimp in her mouth.

"Man, this is goooddd..." Johnny said with a full mouth, shoving a piece of steak and french fries in his mouth.

"Can you not eat like a barbarian?" Ellie asked, smiling as she took another bite of pasta.

"Then look away, girl, cause' I'm starving and I'm going to tear into this." Johnny said, shoving more fries in his mouth and ripping a crab leg off.

Ellie smiled, and reached to get a cheddar biscuit, only to see the basket was empty.

"What the-" she said, frowning at the basket.

Johnny looked down at his food guiltily.

"You ate all those buscuits?!" Ellie exclaimed. She hadn't even seen him eat one!

"I'm hungry!" he said again, jutting his lip out.

"No, you're a pig is what you are."

"Hey, I'm a man, so I need-"

"Twenty thousand calories from one meal?" Ellie cut in, raising her eyebrow.

"Touche," Johnny smirked.

Ellie sighed and continued eating her pasta. She kept glancing over at L, seeing him slowly eating his cheesecake, keeping his eyes glued to the food. For some reason, she just knew he was extremely uncomfortable, and very out of his element. Of course, to and onlooker, he probably just appeared bored. But, she knew that wasn't the case. He was highly uncomfortable, and maybe even a little paranoid. Like somehow, someone would recognize him. That was impossible though, wasn't it? He was probably just overly paranoid.

Ellie started eating a little quicker, in case L got overly panicked and darted out of the restaurant or something.

_'You're so weird, L.' _Ellie thought, smiling to herself as he sunk in his seat even lower as the time passed.


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N: Hello all. Sorry it took me a little longer than usual to update. I've had company at my house. Also, I'm not sure when I'll be updating again. I'm having surgery on Monday, so I'll try to update before then. I'll be in the hospital a few days, and I'll be in bed for a few weeks...depending on how I'm feeling, I may write more. I'm not sure. Anyways, I'll try to upload the next chapter as soon as I can. Thank you for all the lovely reviews and those who have followed or added this story to your favorites. You're awesome :) **

**Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Death. Note.**

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**Chapter Nine:**

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Ellie, L, and Johnny finished their meal in silence—for the most part. Ellie kept quiet, glancing over at L every now and then. He didn't relax his tense posture, and she couldn't help it when she felt slight worry.

The waitress brought them the bill. Immediately, L reached in his pocket, pulling out a one-hundred dollar bill. He tossed it on top of the bill – before the waitress could even leave.

"Keep the change," he said blandly, seeing her astonished expression.

Ellie gaped at him as he turned to her. "Can we go now?"

"Thank you, Sir!" the waitress said in a high pitched voice, grabbing the money and all but running away before he could change his mind or something.

"You didn't have to do that..." Ellie said, looking at him as her heart fluttered annoyingly.

"Yeah, man, I mean...I could have gotten the bill-" Johnny started, as he sat down his sixth beer.

"It isn't a problem," L said, putting his thumb to his mouth.

Ellie stared at him. Clearly, his body language was signaling he wanted out of the booth, but she was blocking his exit. She started to wonder if he was going to crawl under the table just to escape – she wouldn't put it past him.

"Well, um – thank you, then..." she said, smiling as she quickly stood from the booth.

L immediately exited the booth, slouched over and putting his hands in his pockets. He walked by her without a word, towards the exit.

Ellie looked at Johnny and raised her eyebrow. He responded by smirking and shrugging his shoulders as he scooted out of the booth.

She walked with her brother behind L, and she noticed that he was shuffling his feet even quicker than normal.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

Ellie frowned as she saw their waitress stop L, and with obvious great reluctance, he stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the blonde girl expressionlessly.

"You forgot this!" she said brightly, holding out a folded piece of paper to him. Ellie's blood boiled as she realized the girl had a flirtatious smile on her face.

L's eyes narrowed on the paper, and Ellie prayed he'd just ignore her.

To her great disappointment, L reached his hand out, taking the paper by his thumb and pointer. The waitress smiled at him, and turned to walk away. Ellie's fists clenched as she realized she was clearly swinging her hips.

_'Gold digging whore!' _Ellie thought venomously to herself.

L stared at the paper, then turned, walking out the door as Ellie and Johnny quickly followed him.

"Whoa there, Matthew," Johnny laughed, walking up to L beside the car. "She was pretty! Did you find yourself a girlfriend?"

"Oh, _shut up_ Johnny!" Ellie snapped, face red as she ripped her car door open. "That girl was just a gold digger! Couldn't you see that?!"

"That doesn't mean he couldn't go out on a date with her, Ellie!" Johnny laughed as he jumped in the back – clearly not seeing that his sister was on jealous war path.

She snapped her seat belt with a little more force than necessary. She looked over at L, to see him sit in a normal position; his thumb and pointer holding the piece of paper still.

"What is it, anyway?" Ellie asked, trying to sound as uninterested as possible. She wanted to know badly, and even childishly considered snatching it from him.

L slowly blinked at her, then turned to the paper, unfolding it slowly as his eyes flicked over the words.

Ellie wanted to scream, 'WELL?!' as she started her car and waited impatiently.

"Mmm, as I expected," L said tonelessly. "_Cindy, call me anytime_. And her number is listed."

"You gonna call her, man?" Johnny asked, smiling as he stuck his head in between the seats.

Ellie grit her teeth and glared at her brother for egging L on.

"I do not think so," L said, holding the paper over the side of the car and letting it fall on the ground.

Ellie's mouth started twitching, and she couldn't help it when a victorious smile erupted on her face.

"Aw, why not man?" Johnny said, nudging L on the shoulder. "She was quite cute-"

"Then why don't _you_ date that tramp, Johnny?" Ellie snapped, interrupting her brother as she sped out of the parking lot. She really wished he would shut up. A small part of her was worried that her brother would somehow talk L into actually calling that girl. He didn't need the paper – he probably had the numbers memorized. After all, he was a genius.

"Why are you snapping at me, Ellie?" Johnny asked, clearly confused and a little annoyed.

_'I should probably stop being so obvious, huh?' _Ellie thought dejectedly. She had never really been jealous before, and when it hit—she wasn't sure how to act.

She hated to admit it, but when that waitress had given him that paper...she had instantly thought, _'Back off! He's mine you gold digging Barbie!' _

"It's just...that girl was clearly after money," Ellie babbled. "I don't want my friend being taken advantage of, is all..."

"So, you want her to date me instead?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" Ellie exclaimed, worried. "I was being _sarcastic_! I just didn't like her since the beginning of the meal..."

"Girls," Johnny shook his head. "Always hating each other for no reason, eh Matthew?"

_'Oh, I have a reason.' _Ellie thought to herself as L watched her with a contemplating expression.

The car fell into an awkward silence – much like it did in the restaurant.

"Alright, turn the radio on," Johnny yawned. "It's too quiet."

Ellie immediately reached for radio, grateful her brother suggested it. She hadn't even thought about that. Her mind was still reeling from her behavior, and it was hard to think with L's penetrating stare on her.

___'I feel so close to you right now,_ _i__t's a force field..__'_

_Ellie sighed and started to turn it when her brother stopped her. _

_"No, I ____actually__ like this song!" he said goofily. "It has a pretty awesome beat-"_

_"You've had one too many, Johnny," Ellie laughed as her brother started dancing in the back seat to the beat._

_'____I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like a big deal_

___Your love pours down on me, surrounds me like a waterfall_

_And there's no stopping us right now_

_I feel so close to you right now...'_

Ellie laughed, shaking her head and glancing over at L. Her breath caught in her throat.

He was watching her, actually still sitting with his legs down. His raven hair was flying wildly all over the place – and he didn't seem to mind that it constantly whipped in front of his dark eyes. The sun shone down on his pale skin, showing how light he really was. He looked like porcelain – the darkness of his hair and eyes contrasting between his skin more than it ever had.

_'I feel so close to you right now, it's a force field...'_

Ellie snapped her head away, blushing as she felt his gaze still plastered on the side of her face.

_'He actually looked handsome...' _she thought shyly to herself. Of course, she had thought he was cute...but she hadn't really thought of him as _handsome_. But in that moment, she could definitely think he was handsome. He looked like some sort of prince..._well_, perhaps a dark prince with his intensity. Either way, it made goosebumps rise on her arms and her heart flutter against her will.

_'I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like a big deal _

_Your love pours down on me, surrounds me like a waterfall _

_And there's no stopping us right now _

_I feel so close to you right now...'_

"Ellie, I have been around you too long!" Johnny exclaimed suddenly, barging in between them and even causing L to back away slightly. "This music _is _catchy!"

"If you say so, you big dork!" she laughed, using one hand to push him back in the back seat.

Thankfully, they approached the hotel. She wasn't sure how much more of his stare she could take.

Parking the car, she quickly got out to see that Watari was waiting for them. Johnny stumbled, and Watari instantly grabbed him, helping him towards the entrance. Usually, Ellie would be angry at Johnny for getting drunk on her birthday...but, considering the circumstances, she completely understood.

She smiled as Johnny gushed over Watari as he helped him through the door – even telling him he loved him at one point, making Ellie laugh out loud.

"Ellie?"

Ellie froze in place at the voice behind her, and she noticed L had stopped walking also, whipping his head around.

"What are you doing here?" she said in a hateful voice without turning around.

"It's your birthday, and I-"

"And _I _don't want to see _you_," she said, turning around and glaring at the eighteen year old boy, who stood there holding a bouquet of roses.

Eric's hazel eyes fell as he looked at her, attempting to give her what she assumed was the, 'puppy look'.

His eyes flicked over at L, who was standing there watching expressionlessly, as always. Anger crossed Eric's eyes.

"So, is this the reason you won't take me back?" Eric snapped, glaring at L and walking forwards.

"None of your business," Ellie snapped, turning red and putting her hand on her hip – glancing at L. He had his thumb to his lips, and he was looking at Eric with every sign of great dislike.

"Really, Ellora?" Eric snapped, waving his roses towards L with a disgusted look. "This guy? Over _me_?"

"I'd date a girl before I took your sorry ass back!" Ellie snapped, fuming as something occurred to her.

"How the _hell_ did you know I was here?" she snapped suspiciously. Great, now his stalking has taken a new level.

"Jessica let it slip," he said, taking a few steps towards her, causing her to back away and glare at him. "You know she has a big mouth."

"I'll be speaking with her," Ellie snapped. "But as for you, you can just leave. I have nothing to say to you—for the _millionth _time."

"So, that's how it is?" he said harshly, taking a few steps towards her angrily. "I make one mistake, and I'll never be forgiven? Better yet, you won't take _me _and then I find you with some weird _freak-_" he spat, looking harshly at L. "So, you'd screw _him_? Maybe you really are a whore, and you were just trying to reel me in with your games." he finished viciously.

Fury engulfed her at him throwing off on L. That, and calling her a whore. She closed the distance between her and Eric, and she raised her arm, slapping him across the face with as much strength as she could muster – twice as hard as she had struck L.

"Call me a whore again!" she roared at him, raising her fist and punching him in the chest with force.

Eric, apparently, had never expected her to actually strike him. He stumbled away, holding his cheek with an astonished look on his face.

Ellie raised her hand again, only to feel a cold, delicate, but firm grip wrap around her wrist. Her heart pumped furiously as she turned around to see L was holding her wrist, keeping her from pummeling Eric. She gasped when she saw the dangerous look in his dark eyes, making her flinch slightly.

"Enough of this," L said in a low voice, barely moving his lips. "Just walk away."

L pulled on her arm, and she obediently followed him.

"Get your fucking hands off my girlfriend!" Eric roared, and before Ellie could even think, Eric had grabbed L by the back of his shirt and was jerking him back.

"I'M NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" Ellie roared, watching as L was looking at Eric with a stoic expression, but she could see the fury burning behind his eyes.

Ellie marched up to them, and grabbed Eric's sleeve, trying to pull him away from L.

"Let him go, asshole!" she screeched, punching him repeatedly in the arm, but Eric didn't seem to notice.

"Yes, I suggest you release me," L said in a low, quiet voice. His black eyes were glittering with mirth. Even though he spoke in a quiet voice, the low baritone only seemed to make his words more threatening.

"Fuck you, man," Eric spat, shaking him by the collar of his shirt. "Are you fucking my girl?!"

L just stared at him, looking absolutely lethal. Ellie was worried—L was so _skinny_ and Eric was somewhat muscular...surely, Eric could beat him up if he wanted? She couldn't let that happen.

Eric, apparently, took L's lack of response as a confession, and balled up his fist – swinging at L.

"STOP IT!" Ellie said, jerking on his sleeve, but Eric didn't budge.

Horrified, she saw Eric's fist collide with L's face, sending him stumbling back a few steps.

"I'm going to kick your fucking ass!" Eric roared, pushing Ellie away as she tried to stop him.

L rubbed his cheek, his upper lip slightly curling under his top teeth.

"That hurt," he said dully as Eric stormed up to him. "But not as much as this will-"

Ellie watched in astonishment as L spun around quickly, delivering a round-house kick straight to Eric's face, sending him flying to the ground. Clearly, L was stronger than she had originally thought – seeing as his kick took Eric down with ease. L had landed the kick perfectly, as though he had done it a million times before.

Ellie's heart was beating a million miles a minute as she watched Eric on the ground, clutching his nose that blood was pouring profusely from. His eyes were wide, and he was looking at L in astonishment. Clearly, he was just as surprised as she was at the force of L's attack. However, she couldn't help but to notice that Eric stayed down. He may be an idiot, but she knew he realized that he was out matched.

After watching Eric for moments, she snapped her eyes up at L, only to see him glaring darkly at Eric with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"If we are quite done here," L said darkly, snapping his eyes up to her. "I'd prefer to leave before someone sees and calls the police."

He turned and walked towards the entrance of the hotel, leaving Ellie gaping after him in the parking lot.

Ellie shook her head, and ran to catch up with L, who had just walked through the entrance of the hotel. She didn't really care that she left Eric in the parking lot, he had deserved what he had gotten.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Ellie asked as she caught up with him.

L didn't answer at first, but merely pushed the up button on the elevator.

"I took Capoeira when I was younger," he said in a low dark voice as he entered the elevator with her trailing after him.

"Oh..." Ellie blushed, looking away from him. "I'm so sorry about him...I told you he's a stalker. I tried to stop him from hitting you, but I couldn't-" guilt filled her up. "I'm so sorry..."

"Are all women this much trouble?" he asked suddenly, looking at her darkly, his eyes glittering in anger.

Ellie flinched away from him, turning red at his harsh words. She couldn't exactly blame him. Even though she wasn't the one to throw the punch, she still felt she was the one at fault.

"I said I was sorry..." she said quietly, not looking at him. "You haven't exactly been a picnic either, you know..."

She felt bad, but then again...it wasn't as if she had told Eric to punch. She had been too mad to think about it, but now she remembered Eric's words. He had accused her and L of..._having sex_. Mortification entered her veins and she turned her head away from him even further—her face a shade of peony.

The elevator dinged, and L instantly walked out with Ellie slowly dragging behind him.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked in a weak voice as they approached the door. She hated how pitiful her voice sounded, but she couldn't bear to look at him. She _hated _it when people were angry with her.

"No, I am angry at the situation," L's voice sounded, making her look up at him through her lashes. "I'm not angry at you in particular."

"Okay, I'll try to make it up to you..." she said in a low voice as he opened the door. Of course, he didn't even hold it open for her as he charged in. She sighed and grabbed the door, letting it shut quietly behind her.

She watched L's back retreat into the living area, and she sighed again and reluctantly followed him. Upon entering, she saw Watari waiting in the living area for them. His eyes fell on L, and apparently, he saw the bruise forming under his eye. A worried look crossed his face, and his eyes immediately snapped to her in question.

"I didn't hit him!" she squeaked, looking away with a guilty expression. "But, it was my fault, I suppose-"

"Her ex-boyfriend came here and decided that we were intimate," L cut her off, kicking his shoes off and hopping in his chair. "He was out of line, and I was forced to take him down."

Ellie's heart fluttered as he said this. She knew it was lame, but she could help it when giggles rose up in her throat. It took all her willpower to snuff them down. She knew L had merely been defending himself. It wasn't as if he was a knight, fighting for her honor. That was just stupid.

"I see," Watari said, raising an eyebrow. "I have put your brother to bed, and Miss Lafleur, if you would like, I can get a restraining order against your ex—if that is what is needed."

Ellie thought for moments. Before, a restraining order would have seemed way out of line...but he had acted crazy. He had even struck L! Fury rose in her and she came out of her thoughts.

"Could you, Watari?" she asked, smiling. "That would be great. He's gone too far this time. Before, he was just annoying."

"I will arrange it now," Watari said, slightly bowing and then walking from the room, leaving her with L.

She looked at him, and sure enough, his eye was starting to swell. He appeared not to notice as he stared at the coffee table with a blank expression. Getting an idea, she immediately ran in the kitchen, getting a dish towel and opening the freezer, getting some ice out. She put the ice in the dish towel, and twisted it tightly as she walked back into the living room.

L didn't look up at her at she walked in front of him.

"Here, you should put this on your eye," Ellie said in a small voice, holding out the ice pack she made.

He didn't lift his head, but he lifted his eyes up to her, watching her and then glancing at the ice pack for moments. He brought his gaze back down to the table, continuing to stare off into space it seemed.

She sighed, lowering down the ice pack and walking closer to him. She bit her lip in thought, and quickly knelt down next to him before she could change her mind.

His eyes snapped to her, but other than that, he gave no other sign that he was even acknowledging her presence.

"Here..." she said quietly, lifting up the ice pack with a shaky hand and gently pressing it the side of his eye.

He shifted away from her gentle pressure, his eyes continuing to stay glued on her.

"It'll bring down the swelling," she said, sighing as she followed his head, pressing the ice back to his eye. He flinched slightly, even though it looked more like a twitch.

"That hurts." he said in a dark voice, and she could see his eyes scowling at her.

"It'll help. Just be still," she smiled, not being able to hold back a giggle at his childish behavior.

She pressed the ice more firmly against his eye, causing him to wince and glare at her.

"If you hadn't started that with me this afternoon, this never would have happened," he said, his eyes narrowing at her.

"If you hadn't said anything, nothing would have started in the first place," she retorted, frowning as she held the ice pack to his head.

"Well, maybe you should learn to control your emotions," he retorted back instantly. "Or at least try to make them not as obvious."

"Well, maybe you should think before you speak," she said, her eyes narrowing back.

"Coming from you?" he said almost mockingly. "How interesting-"

"Don't you start with me, Harry," she snapped, refusing to argue with him. "I'm just trying to help."

"Mmm, its Harry again, is it?" he asked, finally moving his head to face her fully.

"For the time being," she smirked. "That is, until you piss me off again – which I'm sure you'll manage to do in record time."

She lifted the ice, pressing it into another swelling spot under his eye. Apparently, this spot was even more sore, because he winced more visibly. Out of instinct, he reached up, grabbing her wrist and moving it away from his face.

"That hurts." he repeated in a bland voice.

"Stop being such a baby," she smirked, lifting her other hand and attempting to pull his long fingers off her wrist.

"I am not being a baby," he said in a testy voice, not letting go of her wrist. "This is simply unnecessary. It will swell and bruise—regardless of this-"

"Shut up, Harry," she said, finally managing to pry his fingers off his wrist and putting the ice back on his eye, making him wince again.

"Thank you...by the way," she said, looking down as he glared at her. "I know you were just defending yourself, but thank you for interfering the way you did and not letting me pummel him."

She kept her eyes on the floor, and he didn't respond.

"Hey, I didn't know you could kick ass," she joked after a moment of awkward silence, lifting her eyes to him. "Can you teach me that?" she asked, half joking.

"You're far too clumsy to ever learn Capoeira," he said blandly, his mouth twitching slightly.

Her eyes narrowed.

"That doesn't mean I couldn't learn!" she said, glaring at him as his mouth twitched again.

L opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off as his cell started ringing. He instantly got up, moving away from her and her ice pack. He picked the phone up in his weird way.

"Yess, Watari?"

Ellie smiled when she saw that clearly, his anger had faded to nothing. She watched as he stayed quiet for minutes, apparently think very hard as he put his thumb to his mouth. She had learned he did that often when he was contemplating something, or thinking hard.

"Where?" L asked suddenly, seeming serious.

Ellie's ears perked up. Had they found Peterson?

L closed his phone, looking over at her as she stared with big eyes.

"I hope your brother has sobered up," L said tonelessly. "They've captured Peterson."

"Really?!" exclaimed Ellie, jumping up. "That's great news! That means we can go ho-" she trailed off, the smile slightly falling from her face. That meant L would leave, and she most likely would never see him again...That's what it meant, didn't it? Her heart dropped in sorrow.

L said nothing, but watched her expression with rapt interest in his eyes.

"I will be leaving this afternoon," he said with an emotionless expression. "This case is solved."

He went back to his chair, hopping up once again.

"I-I take it I'll never see you again, then?" she asked in a low voice, trying to keep her voice as emotionless as possible. She had a feeling she was failing miserably, though.

L's eyes flicked over her face blankly. "It is likely that is true," he said tonelessly.

Her heart dropped at his words. It was clear, he didn't care if he ever saw her again or not. She wasn't sure why she was surprised...after all, he had told her that he didn't return her feelings and never would...but for some reason, she realized that subconsciously – she thought he was lying. A small part of her had a lot of hope, and that was all it took. Perhaps she had been so desperate for him to return her feelings that she had imagined things? Surely, she couldn't be that ignorant? She wasn't even sure what to think. But now, this slapped her in the face like a ton of bricks. The thought of never seeing him again put her in emotional turmoil – but what was she supposed to do? Beg him to stay? That was insane, and she had too much pride to lower herself to that level. Besides, if he left...her crush would leave her, wouldn't it? These things passed...just like her crush on Leonardo Dicaprio when she was eight. Her crush for the infamous detective L would pass...he was no different than a celebrity, right? She had about as much of a chance with L as she did Leonardo Dicaprio. She tried convincing herself, but her gut was telling her it wouldn't be that easy – especially since it felt as though her heart would drop in her stomach.

"I-I see..." she trailed off, looking away and gulping as she tried to keep her emotions in check, and keep tears away. She'd been foolish to think that with time—he could grow to care for her. On the inside, she knew that was _exactly_ what she had hoped for. But it was too late now.

Tears were rimming her eyes, and she wasn't sure how long she could hold onto them.

"I-I'm sorry...I have to-" she said to the wall, before turning and hurrying from the room. He didn't come after her, and she realized a small part of her had hoped he would. Quickly, she opened the hotel room door and darted down the hallway, letting the tears roll freely as she entered the elevator and it made its journey down.

"I'm never going to see him again..." she trailed off quietly – the horrible truth hitting her like a sword to the stomach.

She exited the elevators, walking outside into the dusk, fully intending to take a drive to clear her head.

She reached for her pocket, before realizing she didn't even have any pockets.

"Fucking dress!" she growled. There was no way she was going back to retrieve her keys, so it looked like she was taking a walk instead.

She sniffed and crossed the parking lot, getting on the sidewalk and walking beside the road. She hated herself when she found most of her thoughts were focused on how she could get L to stay...but, there wasn't a way, was there? Not unless another mass murderer turned up in LA soon – which wasn't likely. Even then, it had been pure luck and chance that she'd been allowed to be involved in this cased with him in the first place. Either way, her hands were tied. There was absolutely nothing she could do to stop him...and when he left; he was gone. She couldn't call him, text him, or even write him an email. It would be like he never even existed at all.

"Why did you think about all this before, you idiot!" she fumed to herself as she turned a street corner.

It was true, she hadn't thought of the fact that he would leave much. She supposed she assumed she would have time to make friends with him, causing him to become fond of her. But clearly, that didn't happen. He'd made it clear he couldn't care less that he'd never see her again. And if that was the case, she really shouldn't care if she saw him again. At the same time, she couldn't help it.

She sighed to herself as she walked down the narrow streets. Most of the locally owned shops were closing, and she sighed as she headed towards a coffee shop, but halted when she saw the open sign flicker off. That was rotten luck. She could have went for an espresso to perk her up after this.

Suddenly, a hand went over her mouth, and she screamed as she felt something hard pressing into her back.

"Make a single sound, _Ellie_...and I'll pull this trigger."

Ellie's stomach dropped in complete horror as she realized that was..._Peterson's _voice. But...L said he had been captured! What was going on here?!

"Now, be a good girl and walk down the alley to your right."

Ellie shivered in disgust as his breath washed over her ear. Watari had to be nearby, he could call some police in. L had always sent him after her in the past. So surely, this time wouldn't be any different, right?

"_Now, _girl!" he hissed in her ear as she remained frozen.

"Don't do this!" she said into his hand, but her words were muffled. She heard the gun click, sending ice through her veins.

"I've killed before and I'll do it again," he hissed. "I_ suggest_ you move."

Tears stung her eyes as she turned and walked slowly towards the alley, her legs shaking in absolute terror.

_'This can't be happening...Help will come...I know it...' _she thought hysterically to herself.

"Now, go in that door," Peterson said, making her look to the right and tense as she felt the gun press harder into her back.

With shaky legs, she walked up to the door, hesitating to open it.

"NOW!" he hissed, and she instantly grabbed the door knob, turning it and pulling the door open. As soon as it was opened, he shoved her inside, causing her to lose balance and stumble to the floor.

She looked around, seeing they seemed to be in one of the stores storage rooms. With a shot of adrenaline, she saw a door, and instantly got up and bolted towards it.

"STOP!" Peterson roared, and she froze, knowing the gun was pointed at her back.

A sob escaped her throat as she turned around, gasping as her eyes fell on the murderer. He was pointing a pistol at her—His eyes wild, and she had never seen that look on his face before. If the monster had existed before in him, it was buried deep within.

A sick smile curled on his mouth as he used one hand to reach behind him, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. Her heart was beating so fast, she was sure she would have a heart attack any moment.

"Don't scream, or I'll shoot," he said warningly as her mouth opened to do just that. "Now, turn around and put your hands behind your back."

She was so terrified, she couldn't even move from the spot.

"I said, TURN AROUND!" he roared, making her jump and instantly turn around.

She had read about these typed of situations before. The best thing to do was to try to do as he said, possibly keeping him calm or keep him talking until help arrived. Which it would. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. She refused to believe she may die here, on her birthday of all days...

Her heart lurched as she felt the cuffs slide on her wrists, clicking in place. She jumped and shivered in disgust as his hand clearly ghosted across her backside, before grabbing her hip and forcefully spinning her around. He leaned down in front of her, making bile rise in her throat and she saw him pull some rope from his jacket – proceeding to tie it around her ankles, binding her feet together.

"Peterson...please..." she begged, tears rolling down her eyes as she came to face his lustful gaze. He was clearly intending on doing her some serious damage.

"You know, all women are the same..." he said with a crazy glint in his eye. He grabbed her shoulders, forcefully pushing her to the floor. She gasped in pain as the concrete hit her backside – trying to move away from him.

"Always so concerned about your own happiness..." he continued. "As though no one else in the world matters..."

"I'm not your wife!" she yelled up at him, beyond terrified at the maniacal glints in his eyes.

His gaze darkened on her in fury. He bent down, raising his arm and back-handed her across the face with force. She cried out as his hand made contact with her face—her skin stinging from the force of the slap.

"You're no different than her," he spat. "True, you may be a finer piece of ass than she is-" he laughed cruelly. "But no, you are no different. It's satisfying, you see. I get to kill my wife over and over again..."

_'Did L lie to me? Did they arrest the wrong person?!' _she thought hysterically.

"I am different!" she said pleadingly. "I thought we were friends-"

"I have no friends!" Peterson roared, pointing the gun at her again. "Nothing matters, not anymore. They know it was me...I'll be executed."

"Maybe not!" Ellie said, seeing the maniacal look die down in his eyes. "If you let me go, Johnny and I will testify in your favor-"

"No, Johnny will kill me himself if he got the chance," Peterson spat, his hand shaking. "I'm not stupid, Ellora."

"Please, its my birthday today," she cried. "You don't want to do this to me..."

His gun hand was shaking, and she saw despair flash through his eyes for moments. She realized that the man had tormented himself into insanity.

"I decide when I die," he said in a low voice, his blood-shot eyes trained on her. "But I refuse to die alone."

He pointing the gun at her, and her eyes widened in horror.

"NO! PLEASE!" she screamed, backing away from him on the ground.

"I don't have a choice," he said lowly. "Not anymore."

Ellie opened her mouth, letting out a high pitched scream.

The gun clanked to the ground, and she watched in horror as Peterson clutched his chest, crying out in pain.

_'What's happening to him?!' _she thought hysterically, hyperventilating heavily.

"AHH!" Peterson cried out, before collapsing to the ground.

"HELP ME!" Ellie screamed at the top of her lungs, taking advantage of the absolute luck of Peterson being unconscious.

Ellie watched his body, her blood pumping as she saw his back wasn't moving—he wasn't breathing.

"OH MY GOD!" she screamed in horror, realizing he was likely dead. "HELP!"

There was banging on the door, and she looked with a tear streaked face to see Evans burst through the door with his gun drawn.

"EVANS!" she screamed, crying hysterically in relief. "P-PLEASE...H-HE TRIED TO – HE'S D-DEAD! I-I DIDN'T..." she couldn't finish as sobs wracked her body. She watched Evans run up to Peterson, checking for a pulse point. He quickly moved his hand away, putting his gun in his holster.

"He's dead," he said in a dejected voice, before running up to her quickly and starting to untie her feet.

"B-but L s-said he w-was captured-" she said, her voice breaking.

"L is a fucking lying bastard," Evans hissed. "He was informed that Peterson was in the area near his hotel. He was told no such thing. I discovered from other officers that they were ordered by L to be stationed around the hotel to follow _you _when you left."

Ellie's blood turned even colder...did this mean that he...

"I figured it out on my own. He fucking used you to lure him out Ellie," Evans spat, going around her. "I'm sure he somehow managed to get you to leave, and when you left the room, he had you followed. Clearly, they lost track of you, or Peterson made a move they didn't expect. My God...you would have been killed! I've been busting into every building on this street. To hell with L's orders!"

_'How could he do this to me...' _Ellie broke out into a fresh round of tears, her body tensing up as complete agony took over her body. He had risked her _life _for this. Just to catch the criminal! And she had been out, trying to think of ways to get him to stay. He let her walk out of that hotel room, knowing her life would be in danger. How could any human being do that to another human being?

She knew, in that moment as Evans helped her to her feet and she blindingly walked with him out the door – L was talking about himself that day. He was a monster. A monster with no compassion, no empathy, and no remorse. He had led the culprit to be caught, caring not that she was a person that cared about him...He was a _rotten_ human being, and she hated herself for ever thinking anything of him.

"I never want to see him again..." she said in a low voice as other police cars pulled into the alley.

"You don't have to, sweetheart," Evans said in a reassuring voice. "You'll never have to see him again."

He rubbed her arm soothingly, but she didn't pay attention. She felt a certain numbness taking over her body, and all she could feel was resentment towards the raven haired detective.

He had saved her once from Peterson, but yet, he had willingly put her in harms way to catch a criminal? It didn't make sense to her. A part of her was dying to find him, and demand he explain himself. But, if he said he had set her up...then she wouldn't know how she'd react. She wasn't even sure if she could take it...

"ELLIE!"

Ellie looked up with dead eyes as she saw her brother running at her, full speed. He hit her body with force, wrapping her into a back breaking hug – but she didn't care.

"Oh, sweetie..." Johnny sobbed into her shoulder. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, sweetie...oh God, don't hate me...I'm sorry. I love you so much..."

"Its not your fault, Johnny..." Ellie said in a dead voice, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder.

"I love you..." he cried into her hair. "I...I'd die if something happened to you...I'd die...I couldn't- Ellie..."

"Shh, I'm okay," Ellie said in a calm voice, trying to comfort him.

"Johnny, he's dead..." Evans cut in, making Johnny pull away from her.

"Good," He spat, his face streaked with tears. "I'd kill himself if I could."

"It seems he had a fatal heart attack," Evans said, rubbing his forehead. "I can't even begin to say how lucky that was...it seems God was on Ellie's side."

Ellie felt more tears leak out as she saw a black body bag being pushed out of the building on a stretcher.

"Is it over?" Ellie asked in a weak voice. "What about his accomplice?"

"There wasn't one," Evans said, shaking his head. "He placed another mans semen at the crime scene. We were finally able to match it, and it belonged to a twenty-four year old gas station clerk in Long Beach." Evans scratched his head. "Who was also a sperm donor..."

"He robbed a sperm bank?" Ellie said, shocked.

"Yes, undetected too," Evans said, looking towards the coroner. "He did it to throw us off, and it worked...for a small amount of time, at least. It was L that thought to check sperm banks." Evans scowled.

"I'll kill that fucker..." Johnny cursed, his hands balling up in fists. "When I woke, he was gone from the room. A fucking _voice mail _told me that my little sister had been abducted. He probably got out of there quickly, because so help me God..." Johnny closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "This is my fault. I should have never allowed you to help with this case. I'm sorry."

_'If you hadn't, I wouldn't have met...' _Ellie started to think, then cut herself off. What the _fuck_ was she thinking? She would have been better off never knowing him! It was like he had some kind of supernatural hold on her.

"It's not your fault," Ellie said, sighing. "Can we just go now?"

"Can you repeat what happened first?" Evans said, giving her a small smile. "I have to put it in a report..."

"Of course, I forgot..." Ellie said, rubbing her head.

She spent the next thirty minutes going over every detail with Evans, Johnny having to walk away when she starting tell him about Peterson cuffing her.

"Alright, sweetheart," Evans said with a small smile, closing his notebook. "You're ready to go..."

"Thank you, for everything." Ellie said, giving him a small smile and allowing Johnny to lead her to his car.

They rode in silence, and Ellie kept thinking about L, and what he had done. Her mind couldn't wrap around everything that had happened, and she was sure she was still in shock.

They pulled into their driveway, and she gave a small smile and she got out and walked into their home.

Instantly, Snowbell turned the corner, barking happily as she looked at him confused.

"You brought Snowbell back?" Ellie asked Johnny, picking him up and walking in the living room. Her mouth fell open when she saw all their bags sitting there.

"No...I'm guessing Watari brought all our stuff here..." Johnny said, trailing off. "I guess we'll go get your car tomorrow, then."

Ellie looked at the clock, seeing it was around nine pm. She wanted to be alone, anyway.

"I'm going to go to bed," she said, sluggishly walking up the stairs with Snowbell in her arms.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Johnny asked in a worried voice.

She turned and forced a smile. "No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me – I'm just tired."

She continued walking up the stairs and hurried in her room, closing and locking the door behind her. Instantly, she went over to her bay window, kicking her shoes off and curling up in a blanket.

She looked outside for moments, then she burst into tears. Her body wracked with sobs, so much that she wasn't even making any noise.

Snowbell whined in the floor beside her, trying to jump up to her.

"Oh, Belly..." Ellie said, reaching down and plucking the dog up, hugging her and she continued crying.

Her cheek screamed pain in response to her facial actions, but she paid no attention.

After what felt like an eternity, she lifted her head and sat Snowbell down, leaning her head against the window and looking out into the darkness.

She blinked when she saw something fall on the ground, squinting to see what it was. She looked up into the sky, seeing nothing there that it could have come from. Frowning she stared down, seeing that it appeared to be a black notebook, just laying in the backyard.

Curiosity getting the best of her, she instantly stood, walking out of her room and peeking down the hallway. All the lights were off, and it was clear that Johnny had already went to bed. She tip toed through her house, finally making it to the back door. Seeing the book was still there, she opened the door and walked outside.

Walking up to the book, she reached down, ready to pick it up. But, for some reason, warning signals were going off all over her body as she stared at it.

_'It's just a book...' _she thought to herself, reaching down and plucking it off the ground.

Her eyes widened as they fell on the cover of the thin, black, book.

"Death Note?" she said out loud, staring down at the book in confusion.


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N: Hello all! I managed to write another chapter for everyone...Mostly because of my surgery on Monday, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. So, I wrote an extra long chapter to hopefully tide everyone over for a while! I hope you enjoy : )**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Death Note. Never did. Never will.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten:**

* * *

"The humans whose name is written in this note...shall die?" Ellie said, looking down at the notebook on her bed in her room.

_'This has to be a prank...' _she thought to herself, looking down at the notebook with a disgusted expression as she continued to read the, 'rules.'

"This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected..." Ellie said out-loud, frowning. For a prank, it was awfully elaborate and _detailed_.

"If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen." Ellie scoffed, staring at it. Who the hell would make a notebook like this? She was sure it was a prank, but she wouldn't dare write a name in it – on the off chance that someone _did _die, that would make her a..._murderer_. There was no one in the world she hated enough to take their lives away from them. Not even Peterson – even though he was already dead. She felt as though she hated L, but there was no way she'd ever..._kill _him. Hell, she wouldn't even do him serious harm. If you care about somebody, you care about them. You can't change that by hurting them.

"If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack." Ellie frowned. Peterson had died of a heart attack...

_'Don't be stupid, Ellie.' _she scoffed to herself as her mind started to wander to ridiculous places. That was merely a coincidence. It was a natural cause! Besides, even if it was somehow murder, the chances this..._notebook _killed him – well, there wasn't because it was absolutely absurd!

"After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next six minutes and forty seconds," Ellie's eye twitched in irritation. Six minutes and forty seconds? Really? Why not just seven minutes – this thing was ridiculous.

Ellie shook her head, passing through the instructions to see if anything was written inside it. She saw that the book consisted of white, lined paper. She skimmed through it, and she noticed that near the middle, there was something written in pen.

Turning to it, she tried to make out the words, as they were sloppily written – as though whoever was writing it, was in a hurry.

"What does that say?" she said out loud, squinting towards the pages.

Ellie's heart sunk when she was finally able to make out the words.

_'No...i-it can't be! It's impossible!' _she thought, horrified as she flung the notebook on her bed as though it was poisoned. She leaped up, staring down at the words that seemed to throb inside her head.

_James Peterson. Drops his gun, and dies. _

_'Even if this was a coincidence...how could whoever wrote this know he dropped his gun first?!' _she thought hysterically to herself.

She stared down at the notebook, adrenaline pumping through her veins. No, this couldn't be happening. Perhaps she should give this to her brother? But...what if he thought she had made it? What if he threw it away, and someone else got their hands on it? If it was real, and they started killing people...then it would be her fault!

What's worse, what if they discovered it worked, and they thought _she _had written Peterson's name down? After all, she was the only one there when he died...it would be the logical conclusion. But, she didn't kill anybody! She'd _never _do something like that!

"This can't be real...what do I do?" she said, grabbing her hair and thinking hard.

"I assure you, it is quite real."

Ellie looked up, and let out of piercing scream as she saw a figure standing in the corner of her room. Her whole body shook in terror, and she opened her mouth to scream again, but she was so petrified, that she couldn't even make a sound. It was like she was in a nightmare – one of those where you see something terrifying, but you can't scream or even move. It was like that, only much worse.

She waited for Johnny's foot steps to come rushing down the hall, but none came. The only thing she could hear was the sound of her hyperventilating. She hated in that moment more than ever that he slept like the dead.

"You have no reason to fear me, human girl," the raspy voice said. "I will not harm you. My name is Osamu, and I am a God of death."

"G-God of d-death?" she managed to choke out, looking at the creature in absolute terror.

The creature had vivid crimson eyes, and skin paler than snow. It had straight, long hair hanging to its massive shoulders. It's lips were darker than blood, and it was gigantic in size. If she had to guess, it was around eight feet tall, and it was thin. A black trench coat covered its massive body, its legs covered in black cloth, and large black boots were on its large feet. Its hands were hanging at its sides, and they were paler than snow. Long and thin, looking much like spiders legs.

"Yes, that is what I said," it said in a raspy voice. "You have picked up my Death Note." it said, pointing a spider finger to the book on her bed.

"Y-You killed Peterson?" she said, shaking in fear at the creature.

The creature studied her, as though it was contemplating telling her or not.

"As I stand before you, it is apparent it was not me."

Ellie stared in fear and confusion—_What_?

"Let's just say I recently acquired this notebook, and I simply passed it to a human."

"What if I don't want it?" she squeaked, trying to stand on her feet.

"Then relinquish ownership," Osamu said. "But, I will be forced to erase all your memories of the Death Note, and it was pass to another human."

_'And give it to someone that would use it...' _Ellie thought, knowing she couldn't allow that to happen.

"Can I destroy it?" she asked timidly, standing and keeping herself pressed into the wall – still afraid of the sinister looking creature.

"I am bound to you until you until the Death Note is complete, or you die," he said. "Whichever happens first. If you destroy it, I may be forced to write your name in _my _Death Note-" he said, lifting his coat and pointing to the notebook attached to his side. "You see, I don't want to make a trip for nothing. If you destroy it, I will have to return to my realm. I will kill you out of spite."

"You don't even know my name!" Ellie hissed, staring at it with wide eyes.

She shrunk when it began cackling.

"Ellora Layla Lafleur." it cackled.

Ellie's heart thumped heavily. "How do y-you know that?"

"I can see your name above your head with my eyes," it said, smiling and revealing white, razor sharp teeth. "That it what makes us different from humans. We never have to worry about not being able to kill a person because of not knowing their names. I can give you the eyes of the Shinigami...for a price."

Ellie raised her eyebrows. Of course, she would never even consider killing someone...but being able to know someone's name by just looking at them? That would be kind of cool. Her thoughts went to L. If she had the Shinigami eyes then, she could have seen his real name. But, at what price? Her_ soul_?

"What price?" Ellie asked hesitantly.

"If you give me half of your remaining lifespan, I will give you the eyes," Osamu said. "I can see your life span, but I'd never tell you how many years you have left. It is against our rules. Lets just say you had sixty years left – if you made the deal, you would have thirty years left. You will not be able to see your own lifespan, but you will be able to see all others...unless they are another owner of a Death Note."

_Half _of her life? There was no way she'd ever give that up! Even so, seeing when everyone around her was going to die...that would be depressing. She didn't want to look at everyone, and know exactly how much time they had left.

"My answer is no," she said, her voice cracking.

"Pity," the 'Shinigami' said. "But, you should know...that a human that uses the Death Note can go to neither heaven or hell—That is all."

"What if I never use it?" Ellie asked, hesitantly walking towards her bed. She needed to sit down, because she felt somewhat faint.

"That would be boring," Osamu said. "But, I will not kill you, if that's what you are asking."

"Good..." Ellie said, frowning and looking down at the notebook. "Because I don't intend to use it."

"I figured as much," Osamu said, making her jump as it sprouted large, white wings and floated across her room.

"Then why did you drop it for me to find?" she asked hesitantly, her heart still thumping in fear of the creature.

"I believed this Death Note should belong to you," Osamu responded, his red eyes glowing.

"Why?" Ellie asked. Why would it think something like that? How should it belong to her? She'd never use it, so that doesn't even make sense.

"If I told you, I'd be giving you knowledge on how to kill a Shinigami," Osamu said. "And I do not believe I'll divulge that information to you."

Ellie frowned and looked at her clock, seeing it was almost midnight. Her blood was pumping, but she felt exhaustion running through her veins.

"Um, I know you said you're bound to me..." Ellie shifted nervously. "But...can you leave so I can sleep?"

"No, I cannot leave," Osamu said. "I have already told you, I will not harm you, unless you burn the Death Note. Feel free to sleep. I shall wait here until you awake."

"I can't sleep with you in here!" Ellie said, staring at the monster. She felt that she was taking this far too well, but her exhaustion and already crazy day probably had something to do with it.

"Not my problem, human. You'll sleep if you're tired enough."

Ellie groaned, crawling under the covers and staring at the death God. How could she possibly sleep with its creepy red eyes staring at her?

"Can anyone else see you?" she asked sleepily.

"No, only you can see me and hear me," Osamu said, floating around her room. "If another human being touches the Death Note, they'll be able to see me." he pointed to the book on her bed. "I'd take care in hiding it if I were you."

Ellie froze. That wouldn't be good. She sighed and picked up the notebook, getting up from bed. She lifted her mattress, shoving it in between the mattresses along with her diary. There was no way Johnny would look between her mattresses. He never even came in her room, and she always changed her bedding herself.

She crawled back in bed. She yawned as the God of death watched her, and she just felt physically and mentally drained. She'd think about what she was going to do tomorrow. If she had to contemplate anything else highly complicated, she was sure her brain would explode.

"Are you sure you're not going to kill me?" Ellie asked in a sleepy voice.

"You have my word." the Shinigami said, watching her with crimson eyes.

She didn't really believe him, but what choice did she have? She couldn't make it leave, and there was nothing else to do.

Her eyes started to get droopy, and she forced them back open, staring at the God of death. It was still watching her, its eyes glowing in the darkness. She fought to stay conscious, but in the end, she succumbed to sleep. Her body was too exhausted to fight consciousness anymore.

((O))

"I'm sorry for everything I did to you, Ellie," L said, walking up to her, raising a long fingered hand and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Why would you do that?" Ellie said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she turned her head away. How could he think he could make it right so easily?

She felt his cool, long fingers wrap around her chin, pulling her face up to look at his dark eyes.

"I was wrong," he said quietly, coming closer. "I lied. I do have feelings for you – I suppose I was just too stubborn to admit it. But, I can admit it now."

Ellie gasped when he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her firm to him. He leaned forward, burying his face into her hair and inhaling deeply.

"You smell like sweets," he murmured, trailing his cold fingers lightly down her throat. "I love that about you..."

"L...I-I don't think-" Ellie started, her heart hammering away a million miles a minute at his sudden boldness.

"Shhh, baby..." L said quietly, trailing his hand back up to her lips. He moved his head back from her hair to look at her face.

She gasped in surprise when he put his forehead against hers, staring unblinking into her eyes.

"You're so beautiful..." he murmured darkly, putting his fingers under her chin once again.

Ellie flushed, and cast her eyes down as her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest in happiness.

"I like it when I make you blush," he chuckled deeply, making her breath catch in her throat at the sensuous baritone. She had never heard him laugh, and it was very pleasing sound to her ears. She smiled, and looked up at him – looking into his intense grey orbs.

"I'm going to kiss you now..." he said lowly, barely moving his lips as his eyes flicked down to her mouth.

She held her breath as his steel eyes closed halfway, his lips ghosting over hers. Her blood pumped harshly through her veins as his breath washed over her face – smelling of coffee and strawberries.

His lips pressed lightly against hers, warm and inviting. She immediately closed her eyes, fireworks exploding behind her lids as she took a sharp intake of breath—wrapping her arms around his neck and shoving her fingers in his messy, raven locks. It felt smooth against her fingertips, and she ran her fingers through it as he pressed his lips more firmly against hers—taking her breath away.

She felt his mouth part slightly, his tongue coming out to run across her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She immediately opened her mouth, meeting his tongue with her own. His taste of strawberries and coffee entered her mouth, and she sighed contentedly.

He groaned deeply into her mouth, making fire suddenly run through her veins as he grabbed her hips harshly, clutching her against him.

He broke away from her mouth, kissing down her jaw and she tilted her head, giving him access as he trailed soft kisses down her neck—making her moan lightly.

"Ellie..." he breathed raggedly against her neck, making her shiver as goosebumps erupted on her skin.

He bit down lightly on her pulse point, making her gasp in shock before he darted his tongue out, licking the spot lightly with tenderness.

"L..." she gasped, pulling tightly at his hair as her breathing became ragged like his.

Ellie awoke with a start, darting straight up in bed and breathing heavily.

_'It was just a dream...' _she realized, falling back onto her pillows and groaning as she covered her face. She found herself angry at her brain for waking her up—finding she would have very much liked that dream to continue...even if L was an _asshole_; it had still been a very nice dream.

Feeling a little hot, she kicked the covers off and reluctantly sat up in bed, staring at her lap.

"About time you woke up."

Ellie's head snapped up to the voice, seeing Osamu standing in the corner of her room. She screamed in fright again, shuffling away and falling in the floor.

"Urgh, human women," Osamu said in a raspy, annoyed voice. "Always screaming and making noise – so very annoying."

"Ellie?" Johnny's voice sounded as she lay in the floor, cursing under her breath as her brother burst in the room in his suit.

His frantic eyes saw her in the floor, and he immediately ran up to her, helping her up.

"What happened? Are you okay?" he asked in a worried voice, putting his hand on her face.

"I-I'm fine...I-" she thought for a minute, looking off to the side at Osamu. "I had a nightmare, and it startled me."

"I wouldn't have guessed you had a nightmare," Osamu chuckled. "As a witness, I would have guessed your dream was quite pleasant..."

Ellie's mouth fell open slightly, but she snapped it shut. She couldn't stop her face from turning red as Osamu cackled in the corner.

Johnny raised his eyebrows. "Well, be careful not to hurt yourself. I have to go to work...We'll get your car this afternoon. Are you sure you're feeling up to being alone? If not, I can stay here and-"

"No...no, that won't be necessary," Ellie smiled. "I'll be fine"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!" she said, giving him a smile.

_'I'll have plenty to do...trying to figure out this Death Note situation...and that creepy ass God of death...' _she thought, glaring over to where Osamu was floating.

"Alright, sweetie," Johnny said, smiling and quickly kissing her on the forehead before exiting her room.

"So, L?" Osamu said, laughing as she glared. "Still hung up on him, are you?"

Ellie gaped at the God of death. How did he know about her crush on L?

"How do you know about that?" she asked in a low voice, eyeing him suspiciously.

Osamu cackled. "I have seen your tears over that human. To be frank, he is lucky to be alive-"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, her heart thumping. "Were you going to kill him?"

"No, it wasn't me."

"Then who?" she asked, panic starting to creep into her skin.

"...He is not alive anymore – the one that would have liked to harm L." Osamu said in a raspy voice. "And that is all I will say."

Ellie let a little tension leave her shoulders. Not that she'd trust a God of death in a million years – she just had to accept his words. It wasn't as if she had any other option.

"I need to think of a way out of this..." Ellie murmured, while Osamu watched her with an amused expression.

"By all means, do just that." he replied sarcastically, cackling.

_**Two years later**_

"_More mysterious heart attacks occurred today in the United States, following the heart attacks of criminals around the world."_

"Hey, Mu!" Ellie called out, sitting on her couch and watching TV in her living room.

"What is it now, girl?" Osamu said, hovering out of the kitchen with his arms full of snack cakes.

"I think someone has a Death Note..." Ellie said quietly, watching the news. "I've been keeping tabs on the heart attacks, and it has crossed my mind that another Death Note has come to the human world," she frowned. "I didn't want to believe it at first, but nothing else makes sense. Someone is getting rid of criminals and playing God."

Osamu watched for moments, shoving the cakes in his mouth, wrapper and all.

"Yes, I would agree with that statement." Osamu concluded, finishing up his last cake.

Suddenly, the commercial that was on went off, and a news reporter popped onto the screen.

"_We'd like to apologize for the interruption, but we're bringing you a worldwide broadcast from the ICPO..." _

"What's this?" Ellie said, suddenly very interested as she pulled her legs under her and leaned towards the TV.

"_We now take you live to the ICPO." _

Ellie bit her lip as a dark haired man came on the screen.

"Lind L. Tailor?" she said, racking her head for famous policemen or detectives with that name – but none came to mind.

"_I head up an international police task force, which includes all member nations,"_ Tailor said, making Ellie gaze in skepticism. _"I am Lind L. Tailor...otherwise known as – L." _

"WHAT?!" Ellie screeched, jumping off the couch and startling Osamu. "He's a fake! That isn't L!" she said, flabbergasted.

"_Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer,"_ the fake L continued. _"I consider this crime to be the most atrocious act of murder in history. I will not rest until the person, or person's responsible are brought to justice."_

Ellie gaped. That certainly sounded like something L would say...it screamed him—basically. Perhaps L had put this man up to it? It was a definite possibility.

"_Killer, I will hunt you down – I will find you,"_ the imposter continued. _"I've got a pretty good idea what your motivation might be, and I can guess what you hope to achieve...However, what you're doing right now – is evil." _

Ellie nodded, agreeing with the imposter whole heartedly. Suddenly, the man gasped, clutching his chest in what appeared to be extreme pain. Ellie clutched her mouth, horrified, as the scene with Peterson from almost two years ago played through her mind...she had to remind herself repeatedly this man wasn't L, as she watched him die on television.

Suddenly, a picture from her past lit up her screen. Her heart thumped repeatedly, as she stared at the Gothic style, 'L' on the center on the TV.

"L..." she whispered in a quiet voice, watching intently as the electronic voiced gasped.

"_I had to test this just in case, but I-I never thought it would actually happen..." _the electronic voice from her past said. _"Killer...it seems you can kill people without being there in person." _

Ellie couldn't help it when a smile erupted on her face.

_'God, he's so smart...' _she thought excitedly, feeling like a fan girl as she hopped back on the couch.

"_I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just witnessed it."_

Ellie smirked.

"_Listen to me, Killer, if you did indeed kill Lind L. Tailor – the man you just saw die on live television-"_ Ellie bit her lip. _"I should tell you that he was an inmate, whose execution was scheduled for today...that, was not me."_

"He's done it!" Ellie gasped, jumping up and down on the couch at his absolute brilliance. Of course, she frowned a little when she realized he had sacrificed someone's life to prove that there was a killer...even if he was scheduled to die today, it wasn't right to her. L, apparently, hadn't changed at all. Not that she'd actually expected him to.

"_The police arrested him in absolute secrecy, so you wouldn't have heard about him on TV, or through the internet,"_ L continued as Ellie's heart raced. _"It appears that not even you have access to this type of information about these types of criminals." _

Ellie couldn't tear her eyes away, even though the screen remained the same. Her eyes were even beginning to water she she stared without blinking.

"_But, I assure you, L is real. I do exist..."_ Ellie's mouth twitched with a small smile, but it didn't last long.

"_Now, try to kill me!" _

"What are you doing, L! Are you crazy?!" Ellie gasped, staring a the TV in horror.

"_What's wrong? Come on, kill me!"_ L continued, clearly taunting the killer. _"Can't you do it? Come on!"_

Ellie's heart was racing in sheer panic. She was 99 percent sure the killer was an owner of the Death Note, and even if they had the Shinigami eyes, they would have had to have seen L before, or at least a picture. She was also 99 percent sure that the killer probably never had, but it made her skin crawl at even the small possibility.

"_Well, Killer, it seems that you can't kill me after all," _L continued, but Ellie didn't miss the mocking quality in his electronic voice. _"So, there are some people you can't kill...you've given me a useful hint."_

Ellie let a nervous smile grow on her face. Of course, she thought this was completely insane...yet, completely genius at the same time.

"_Let me return the favor..." _Ellie raised her eyebrows. _"I'll tell you something that I think you'll find interesting...Although this was announced as a world wide broadcast, the truth is...we are only broadcasting in Los Angeles, California..."_

Ellie's mouth fell open in shock. How could he possibly know know that was where the killer was located? After all, the heart attacks were happening all around the world...

"_I had planned to broadcast this message around the world until we found you – but it looks like that won't be necessary; I now know where you are..." _

Ellie was beyond stunned. L had gotten smarter...if that was even possible.

"_The LAPD treated your first killing as an unrelated incident, but in actuality, the first of your victims was a suspect in Long Beach...Of all the criminals that have recently died of heart attacks, this ones crime was by far the least serious. Furthermore, his crime was only ever reported inside California..." _

Ellie watched as a wanted man flashed on the screen, and she was amazed that L had been able to figure out his _very _first victim. Even she had not figured that out, nor had it occurred to her to even try.

"_I used that information to deduce this much: You are in California, and your first victim was little more than an experiment – which mean that you haven't been killing for very long..." _

"Of course..." Ellie said, biting her lip. "They got the Death Note – probably assuming that it was a prank, much like I did. But, they actually _tested _it...they picked a criminal, and when they died...I'm sure they tested it _again _on another criminal..." she mused, thinking hard. "And by that time, I'm sure they discovered it worked and they began to form a plan...A plan to rid the world from evil, when in actuality..._they _are the one that is evil and corrupted."

"_We decided to broadcast in the Los Angeles area first because of its large population, and luckily, we found you," _Ellie beamed at his brilliance. _"To be completely honest with you, I never expected things would go this well...but, it won't be too long now before I am able to sentence you – to death." _

Ellie frowned, thinking L shouldn't goad the killer like this...not when the killer had a Death Note.

"_Naturally, I'm very interested to know how you are able to commit these murders without being present...but, I don't mind waiting a little bit longer. You can answer all of my questions when I catch you..." _

"He's still a pompous ass, I see..." Ellie said, sighing to herself as Osamu cackled in the background.

"_Let us meet again soon – Killer." _L finished, before the screen went back to commercials.

"Mu!" Ellie said, turning sharply towards the God of death.

"You know I despise that nickname-"

"Is there anyway for you to find out who has the other notebook?" Ellie asked, ignoring his comment.

"Only if I saw another God of Death following a specific human around," Osamu answered. "But, I haven't seen such a thing. It would have been very interesting...I'm curious myself as to who it is. Whoever the God of Death is bound to, must have found a way to sneak another notebook past the Shinigami King – and he is not easily fooled."

"Couldn't they have come across another notebook, as you did?" Ellie asked. Osamu had still yet to tell her exactly how he'd come across the notebook...and why he had chosen to give it to her.

"I suppose it is possible," Osamu admitted. "But it is not likely. How I came across the notebook...well, lets just say that it doesn't happen very often. I am probably the only one of my kind that has the knowledge on how to kill a Shinigami, simply because I was present when he died."

"...How do you kill a Shinigami?" Ellie asked hesitantly, for the millionth time.

Osamu stared at her, and she held her breath. This was the first time he hadn't out-right refused to to tell her.

"I suppose I can tell you," Osamu said. "You cannot use this to kill me. So, I suppose you can know."

Ellie frowned. She hated to admit it, but she had grown somewhat fond her her constant companion. At first, she had resented him – searching in vain for a way to get rid of him. But, even though Osamu probably didn't care about her...she had grown accustomed to him, and probably would not harm him, even if she got the chance. She was too soft.

"The only way to kill a Shinigami is if they fall in love with a human."

Ellie's mouth dropped. She definitely hadn't been expecting _that_. She thought deeply...Clearly, a Shinigami had written Peterson's name in the Death Note – and Osamu had told her that since he was standing before her, that it couldn't have been him. That hinted that the God of death that had written his name had died, obviously. He had also always said he believed that the extra notebook should belong to her...It wasn't because she was a good candidate to use it, obviously...but now that Osamu was telling her this – she had an idea of what happened.

"A God of death..." she whispered, looking at Osamu with big eyes. "Loved me?"

Osamu raised his almost non-existent eyebrows. "Clever. I should have known." he cackled. "But yes, a God of death loved you."

Ellie was astounded. She could understand a God of death falling in love with someone like...Britney Spears or something – but her?

"Why?" Ellie asked, interested.

"I don't know!" Osamu exclaimed. "I'm a God of death, and he was weird. What can I say?"

Ellie frowned. A God of death had saved her life...therefore ending his?

"Saving me killed him?" she asked, tilting her head.

"You're too smart," Osamu grunted. "I knew I shouldn't have told you. But yes, it did. Shinigami are meant to end human life, not save it. He violated a huge rule, and it killed him. That is all I'm telling you, you persistent girl."

Ellie couldn't help but to chuckle. Of course, she still had time to figure out the rest of the details, in the mean time...she needed to figure out what she was going to do. One thing was obvious, though.

She had to speak to L again.

"Mu, are there any rules about many people knowing about the Death Note?" she asked, just to make sure.

"The world could know and it wouldn't matter," Osamu said. "After all, we Shinigami are in our own realm, and there is nothing humans could do to stop us from taking their lives when we needed too. Unless they hid indoors for all eternity."

"I see," Ellie said, biting her lip. "I doubt L would announce it to the world. After all, proof of the Shinigami realm...that would cause a panic. Kind of like how the Government covers up all unexplained events...this would be no different."

"They would take the Death Note from you?" Osamu asked, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"Yes, that is likely..." Ellie confirmed. "But I would still be the owner, and you would be bound to me...correct?"

"Yes," Osamu said. "But, another person could kill you with it, making themselves the owner of the Death Note...it is not a good idea, Ellora."

"I don't have a choice," Ellie sighed. "I can't let this mad man continue – especially when I have the knowledge on how he's committing murder. So many more people will die if I could keep quiet...L could die..." she frowned.

"Who cares?" Osamu said. "Besides, didn't he lure you into a trap that almost got you killed?"

"I'm not sure," Ellie snapped, the old wound reopening again. "I never got to ask him." she had long since stopped being infuriated, but she was still curious as to why or even if he did that. She figured he did, but she wasn't going to say it was concrete until she spoke with him – however she was going to manage that.

"I don't like this," Osamu said after a moments pause.

"Since when do you have an opinion about anything, other than food?" Ellie asked, walking into her bedroom at her two bedroom apartment. She had to get dressed and get down to the station.

She had spent the past year in training, and now was an officer of the LAPD. After all, she was still at a very low rank, only having gotten her badge a few months ago. She was a detective, but she didn't have much power there. She mostly did desk work, and it reminded her much of when she worked with her brother when she was in high school. Her brother, however, was now Chief of police. She knew that had something to do with her getting her badge so quickly, but she wasn't concerned. She had already solved a number of cases, most of which she didn't even need help with.

She pulled on some skinny jeans, throwing on a white halter top with them. She slipped her feet in knee-high boots, thinking of how she was going to even get into contact with L. Her brother, even as Chief of Police...probably couldn't make that happen. Not to mention, her brother hated the man with ever fiber of his being.

She sighed, brushing her hair and putting on light makeup. Since she'd been working at the LAPD, she had finally started wearing the stuff. It seemed like a professional thing to do.

She pulled the Death Note from under her mattress, tearing off a small piece and shoving it in her pocket. She had to do something to make L believe her, and when she established the fact that Shinigami's did exist by showing him Osamu, then she would bring him the Death Note.

"Where are we going?" Osamu asked as she stuffed the Death Note back, and grabbed her keys.

"To talk to Johnny," she answered, leaving her apartment. "I need to find a way to contact L."

"I still don't think that is good idea," Osamu said as they exited the building and entered her car. He floated above the back, seat. "Whose to say L won't think _you're _the killer..."

Ellie paused, turning on her engine. That was a definite possibility. But, L was a genius...he'd know that it couldn't possibly be her. Of course, he'd probably question the hell out of her...but she'd know that there was no way she'd be accused in the end. Besides, if she was the killer, why in hell would she go to him and tell him everything about the Death Note? No, it didn't matter what way you chose to look at it – that didn't make sense.

"L is a genius," Ellie said under her breath, in case people in cars nearby saw her lips moving. "He will know its not me."

Osamu grunted in the back seat, clearly displeased.

Ellie frowned. Since when did he care about anything like this? She sighed and pulled into the station, hurriedly running inside with Osamu floating behind her.

"Oh, hey there, Ellie!" Evans said, seeing her hauling it towards him as he exited her brothers office.

"I need to talk to Johnny!" she exclaimed, running past him and into her brothers office, closing the door. She heard Evans chuckle outside.

Johnny, who was sitting in his chair with his head in his hands, looked up at her with an exasperated expression.

"L is asking for help from the LAPD," he said immediately. "I don't know if I can do this. I know this case needs to be solved, but I hate him too much-"

"I need to be on this case!" Ellie said, putting her hands on his desk.

His face darkened. "Absolutely not. Not with him, not again."

"You don't understand!" Ellie exclaimed. "I have to talk to L, its very important!"

Johnny looked at her suspiciously. "What is it? I'll report it to him myself-"

"No, only I can do it," she said instantly, feeling exasperated. "You can be there too...but its extremely important. You trust me, don't you? Would I lie about this?"

"No, I trust you with every fiber of my being-"

"Then believe me when I say this is how it has to be," Ellie whispered, her heart pumping. "I beg you."

Johnny stared at her, his eyes slowing admitting defeat. "Fine. There's a meeting in five minutes with L."

Ellie looked at him, startled. She hadn't expected it to be that soon...

"O-oh?" she stuttered, her voice slightly high pitched.

"Yes, we better go..." Johnny said, standing. "But you had better explain yourself." he said seriously.

"I promise, I will." she smiled, following him out the door.

A long gone feeling entered her stomach, and she felt the butterflies she had long forgotten enter her stomach. She knew she had dreams about L every now and then, but surely, she didn't still have a crush on him? No, it wasn't likely. After all, she still had dreams about Eric every now and then...Granted, they weren't as...erm, _graphic _as her dreams about L...but still.

Her heart felt like it was going to explode from her chest as she approached the door.

Johnny stopped in front of it, sighing heavily as he glanced at her, and opened the door. Ellie raised her eyebrows when she saw about fifteen other people in the room, and near the front, she saw a hooded man and a blank laptop set up.

Her heart fluttered in happiness. She almost ran up to Watari, wrapping her arms around him. But, she knew it wasn't a good idea to let the other detectives in on the fact that she knew him. That would be unsafe for her, even though she trusted most of the people in the room.

With shaky legs, she quickly took her seat, crossing her legs and shaking her foot rapidly. She couldn't tell him in front of all these detectives...this wasn't something that needed to be spread around. That, and she didn't want all of her colleagues to think she was insane. Surely, she would sound insane. Also, she didn't want to reveal Osamu to all these people...some may faint, or even God forbid...have a heart attack.

Suddenly, the screen lit up with the Gothic, 'L', making Ellie taking a deep breath and will her nerves to stop herself from shaking.

"Hello, detectives of the LAPD," the electronic voice said. "I, am L."

Ellie glanced over at her brother, seeing him glare at the screen. She elbowed him, making him glance at her warning stare, his features softening and he sighed.

_'How the hell can let him know I need to speak with him without the others noticing?' _Ellie thought desperately.

"I have a request," L said, not bothering any further with instructions. "I need you to coordinate the times that all the deaths were taken place.

The detectives nodded, taking notes. Her brother cleared his throat, standing.

"L, as Chief of police, after this meeting, I must discuss a few words with you in private," he said, keeping his voice neutral. "Is that alright with you?"

There was a long pause from the screen. Clearly, L was thinking that Johnny was going to bombard him with accusations about his sister, who was sitting right next to him. Ellie shifted her eyes, looking at the wall.

"It concerns the case." Johnny said, clearly coming to the same conclusion as she.

"Ah, yes, that will be permitted then," L answered, going back to business as Johnny took his seat again.

Ellie sat through the meeting, listening to detectives throw around ideas on how the killer could kill without being present...but none of them were accurate.

One man even said that maybe it was a Spiderman type person, making Ellie let out a giggle in spite of herself.

But mostly, L shot down all of their ideas with a simple, 'Mmm, no.'

Finally, after an eternity, the meeting ended and she stood as the other detectives walked out the door. She didn't want them know that she was actually staying behind. She walked behind the last detective, but instead of walking out, she shut the door, turning around to look at Johnny.

"I was under the impression that Mister Lafleur was the one that wanted to speak with me," the electronic voice said, but Ellie could tell that he wasn't under that impression at all. He had known this would happen.

"You never change, do you?" Ellie chuckled, tossing her hair over her shoulder and walking up to the laptop.

"Watari!" she said, beaming and leaped towards him, wrapping her arms around the older man, making him chuckle.

She pulled away, smiling at the old man that had been so good to her.

"Sorry, had to do that before I get all serious..." she chuckled nervously, twisting her hands.

Johnny was still near the back, glaring up front at the computer.

"I...well, I'm not sure how to say this..." Ellie admitted, trying to think of a way to word herself without sounding insane. Was it possible?

"What is it, Miss Lafleur?" L asked, making her look at the laptop in thought.

"I know how the killer is murdering people," she blurted. "Well, I'm 99 percent sure-"

"WHAT?!" Johnny roared, coming towards the front and staring at her.

"How?" L said instantly, cutting Johnny off and sounding very interested.

"I..." she frowned. "I'll have to ask you to keep an open mind here, L. Can you do that?"

The computer was quiet for moments. "Yes, I suppose I can. Now, what is it?"

"He has a Death Note," she said in a low voice. Osamu groaned behind her.

The computer was quiet, and she flushed – thinking he must think shes insane.

"He got it from a Shinigami," she said, trying to look confident.

"Oh God..." Johnny groaned. "My sister has lost her mind-"

"I beg your pardon?!" Ellie snapped at her brother. "How _dare _you?! I can prove it!"

"Please, do." L's voice sounded suddenly, very quietly.

"Well, I can't prove it to you, L, because you aren't present physically," she smirked. "But I can prove it to Watari and my brother. Will that suffice?"

"Yes."

She reached in her pocket, pulling out a piece of paper, biting her lip and deciding to show Watari first.

"Watari, he is very scary looking..." Ellie warned. "Please don't go into shock or..." she was terrified he'd have a heart attack or something. God knew that would make her look guilty.

"No worries." Watari replied, taking off his hat.

"Your hand." Ellie said, watching as Watari hesitantly held out his hand towards her.

"I don't like this..." Osamu said from behind her, again.

Taking a deep breath, she touched the notebook to Watari's fingers.

Watari's eyes looked behind her, and complete horror took over his features.

"Watari, its okay!" Ellie exclaimed, but her warning fell on deaf ears. Clearly, he didn't believe anything would happen as he shuffled backwards, losing his balance and falling to the ground.

"Watari!" L's voice sounded from the laptop. "Are you alright?"

"I-It can't b-be..." Watari muttered, staring at Osamu. "A G-God of d-death!"

Johnny walked up to her, snatching the paper out of her hand. He instantly looked behind her, seeing Osamu also. His face paled, and he let out a terrified yelp, shuffling backwards as Watari did.

"Everyone, its okay!" she exclaimed, walking to Osamu. "He's been around me for almost two years now. He has never hurt me-"

"ELLIE GET AWAY FROM IT!" Johnny roared, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Osamu.

"Human, I will not harm Ellora," Osamu said in an exasperated voice. "Besides, that gun will not kill me. I am a Shinigami."

"Watari?!" L's voice sounded again. "Talk to me, now!"

Watari shook his head, and shakily stood and walked around the laptop.

"Master L," he said in a croaky voice. "It is as Miss Lafleur said...There, indeed, is a God of death in this room with us...I can see it." he finished, turning to stare at Osamu with wide eyes.

"Bring them both to me," L commanded instantly. "Now."

The laptop went blank, and Watari closed it.

"Ellie...what...two years?!" Johnny said, flabbergasted. "And you didn't tell me?!"

"I-I didn't know how..." Ellie admitted. "I didn't want you to have to deal with this-"

"I'm your brother!" he exclaimed, shoving his hand in his hair. "Fucking Christ...Ellie..."

"We must go." Watari said, amazingly sounding completely unruffled.

"Okay, lets go." Ellie said, nodding as her stomach fluttered.

Johnny shakily walked out after her, and her mind was reeling. She already knew she was going to be bombarded with questioning, and she tried to ready herself for that during the ride. Johnny looked extremely uncomfortable at the Shinigami flying beside the car, and he kept staring at it. She saw Watari watching it as well.

Finally, they pulled up to a hotel, and Ellie frowned as she saw it was the Huntley hotel, once again. Memories swarmed her, and she looked over at the parking lot, smiling as she remembered L round house kicking Eric there.

Watari pulled out front and they stepped out of the car.

"I'm tired," Osamu said, making Johnny jump. "I hate it when you get in vehicles I can't ride in." he grumbled.

Watari, Johnny and Ellie...and of course, Osamu went through the lobby, getting on the elevator.

As they rode up, Ellie fidgeted with her hair, and twisted her hands in front of her nervously.

The elevator dinged, and they emerged on the same floor as before. Ellie assumed it would be the same room as well.

Walking up to the door, she felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest. She couldn't believe it...she was going to see L again – she had given up on that happening long ago.

Watari opened the door, holding it open for them.

Ellie took a shaky breath, entering the room first and looking at the ground. Osamu cut in front of her brother, walking behind her.

"Show me the Shinigami." A deep voice said, directly in front of her. Her head whipped up, and she stared at L, who was standing near the door, looking as impassive as he ever did.

She noticed a few changes...but not many. His hair was slightly longer, coming to the nape of his long neck. The bags under his eyes seemed to be even larger, making his intelligent gaze even more intense. He wore the same clothes – his long white shirt, along with his baggy jeans, and of course, no shoes.

Ellie swallowed as her heart hammered and her stomach fluttered. She pulled out the piece of paper, seeing L's eyes zero in on it.

"Give me your hand." she said quietly, and his eyes snapped up to hers for moments.

Surprisingly, he pulled his long fingered hand from his pocket, holding it out towards her. Slowly, she walked up to him with his gaze watching her every move.

Stopping in front of his hand, she gently took the paper and touched it to his pointer finger.

His eyes snapped from hers, instantly looking behind her. His eyes bugged, widening even bigger than usual. She wasn't even sure it was possible until now.

"Hello, L," Osamu said in a raspy voice. "I am Osamu, the Shinigami."

L stared with large eyes, clearly at a loss for the first time in his life.

"He has been around you for almost two years, correct?" L asked in a surprisingly steady voice after a long silence, his eyes snapping to hers.

"Yes..." she trailed off, knowing he would make the connection.

"I see," he said, turning and walking to the main area. "Come."

Ellie hesitantly followed him, followed by Watari and Johnny.

Her mouth twitched as she saw him leap on his chair, taking his same crouched position.

"I have many questions." he said darkly, laying his hands on his knees.

"I thought you would." Ellie said, sitting on the couch nearest to him.

"Am I to assume you have a...'Death Note.'" L asked, staring at her intently.

"Yes, but I have never used it," Ellie said instantly, trying to make her eyes seem as honest as possible. "Mu is bound to me until the Death Note is complete...or, until I die. Whichever comes first."

"I can vouch for that." Osamu chuckled, hovering behind her.

"How did you come across this note?" L asked, glancing up towards Osamu.

"It was in my backyard...on my eighteenth birthday," Ellie responded, flushing in memory at that day. "I read the rules, thinking it was a joke. But then, I flipped through it and towards the middle, it said, 'James Peterson. Drops his gun and dies.' I was astounded. How could anyone know that happened when they weren't present? It was then that Osamu appeared to me."

"Are you saying that Peterson was killed by a Shinigami?" Johnny interrupted from beside her as L put his thumb to his mouth.

"Yes," Ellie said, nodding. "A God of death killed Peterson to save me. But it wasn't Osamu."

"Why would a God of death save a human being?" L interrupted, looking at her intensely.

"He loved her," Osamu interrupted, snapping L's attention to him. "He loved her so much, he gave up his eternal life to save her mortal one."

Ellie flushed as everyone's eyes fell on her.

"He would watch her from our realm," Osamu continued, surprising Ellie and making her listen in. "Everyday, he would watch her. The others laughed at him for watching one human so much. But, there was nothing more he wanted than to look upon her face everyday as she carried on with her life."

Ellie flushed even deeper, feeling a sudden gratitude towards this unknown Shinigami.

"And he hated you, L," Osamu said, lifting a spider finger towards him. "He saw her tears, and he wanted nothing more than to end your life. The only reason he didn't, was that he only wanted Ellora's happiness – and your death, would have undoubtedly caused her despair."

Ellie's mouth fell open as she stared at Osamu, then to L who was watching her intently.

"The day of her death," Osamu continued. "He was distraught. He didn't understand – it was her birthday, and she seemed so healthy. He assumed it was a car accident, or something similar. But, when he saw that man pull the gun on her and saw how utterly terrified she was - he did something we should never do." Osamu's voice darkened. "Without a second thought, he pulled out his Death Note, writing her attackers name."

Ellie swallowed, tears coming into her eyes. That Shinigami was the reason she was alive. He had loved her so much...he had died for her.

"I tried to stop him, but it was no use—he was truly in love with her," Osamu said. "Shinigami are only meant to take life away, not give it. By writing her killers name, he extended her life. He died, right in front of me. He turned to dust as I watched, as all the years from his life and her attackers...transferred to her – extending it way beyond normal years."

Ellie's head shot to look at him, stunned. The Shinigami had added years to her life?

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Ellie exclaimed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Keevell loved you more than life itself," Osamu said, ignoring her question. "I, then, was left with two notebooks. The only evidence he ever even existed. It was then that I decided to make a trip to the human world, giving his notebook to the human girl that he loved so much. It was what Keevell would have wanted – even though he knew that she was too kind to ever take a life. He would want his only possession to belong to her. I honored that."

Ellie couldn't believe this. It was so beautiful...yet, so incredibly tragic at the same time.

"I see..." L said lowly, looking at her. "Where is the notebook?"

"A-at my apartment-"

"Watari, retrieve the notebook from her apartment and bring it to me." L cut in as Watari nodded, leaving the room.

"Miss Lafleur," L said, looking back to her. "I am afraid I must put you under a sort of arrest until I can be certain that you aren't the killer-"

"I DON'T THINK SO!" Johnny roared, speaking for the first time. "YOU ALMOST GET HER KILLED, AND THEN YOU WANT TO IMPRISON HER?! FUCK YOU!"

"I did not trap her." L said quietly, looking at L with a calm expression.

"What?!" Ellie said, staring at him in shock.

"I was informed that Peterson was in the area," L said, biting his nail. "I did not want to concern you, so I said he was captured as I was certain he would be apprehended soon." he stared. "However, you left and I was looking out the window, I saw you walk down the street. I couldn't reveal myself, not with Peterson close by, and Watari was on an errand—so I called in the police to follow you to make sure you were not harmed."

Ellie stared, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"They were idiotic," L said, biting his thumb. "They lost track of you when you turned a corner, and they didn't send as many officers as I requested. That was when Peterson grabbed you, and they were hunting for you."

"So...this whole time..." a tear rolled down her cheek. "Y-You didn't set me up?"

"No, but I see how that conclusion was made," L said blandly. "However, I should have ordered that the police bring you back, not just follow you. I did that in conclusion that if he did see you, he would attempt to approach you and be arrested—but I didn't not send you away with such intentions. The police officers should have not lost track of you."

Ellie stared in shock. It wasn't completely honorable...but he didn't plan it. Even so, a huge weight lifted from her shoulders and she felt happiness and relief fill her up.

"I considered the idea of sending you a message, explaining the situation," L said, staring blankly. "But, considering your attachment, I assumed it would be much better if you hated me. I never thought we would be seeing each other again, and now, I am forced to explain what truly happened."

"You should have!" Ellie screeched, glaring. "You have _no _idea how much I..." she trailed off, huffing angrily and looked away, remembering her brother was in the room.

"What attachment?" Johnny spoke up, looking at her as her face turned red.

"Your sister was infatuated with me for a period of time." L answered instantly, picking up his tea cup and dropping his ungodly amount of sugar in.

"WHAT?!"

"That was a long time ago!" Ellie blubbered, her face turning red as she glared at L.

"Ellie...God," he groaned. "Don't you tell me anything anymore?!"

"Like you tell me about every girl you had a crush on!" Ellie exclaimed, pretty mortified.

"Touche," Johnny said, sighing. "But...its gone now, right?"

"_Yes_!" Ellie hissed, turning red.

L brought his head up to stare at her as he sipped at his tea.

"Now, addressing this matter," he said in a calm voice. "I will not imprison you, basically because I feel that is quite unnecessary as long as you cooperate. I do not want you leaving my sight, though, until I can be of a 100 percent certainty you are not involved in the killings."

Be with L all the time?

"Very well..." Ellie sighed, looking over at Osamu who was looking at her knowingly. She glared.

"Ellie, you don't have to agree to this!" Johnny snapped, glaring at L. "He's a liar and I'm not sure I even believe that he didn't set you up."

Ellie frowned. Her brother did have a point...It was true, L was a liar and a cheat. He said before, as long as it came down to him solving a case...he was a dishonest human being who hated to lose. But, his story fit so well – even more so than what she previously believed.

"I knew he would suspect me," Ellie said, looking at Johnny's shocked face. "It was only natural. But, I had to go to him with this information. I'm not the killer, and time will reveal that. I'm not worried at all. I know he will not wrongly accuse me of crimes I've not committed."

"You trust him?!" Johnny exclaimed, pointing towards L.

Ellie looked over to him, contemplating her answer as he stared at her.

"In this sense, yes, I do."

Johnny stared hard at her, before turning towards L. "If anything happens to my sister..." he trailed off, looking at him harshly. But, it was obvious, Johnny was threatening L.

"Look, Johnny, its fine!" Ellie said, cutting in. "I'm an adult, and at least moderately intelligent-" she smirked. "I know what I'm doing, and I'm telling you that its alright."

"I wish I could lock you in your room still..." Johnny grumbled, and she laughed, hugging him.

"I'll be fine with him, I promise," Ellie said, not really believing her words. But, she had to comfort her brother.

L pulled out his phone, hitting a number quickly.

"Watari? Bring Miss Lafleurs belongings." he said quickly and then hung up.

"When you said I can't leave your sight..." Ellie smirked, joking. "You aren't gonna like, watch me sleep, are you?"

L just stared at her. Her stomach dropped. She talked in her sleep sometimes...Osamu had told her.

"You're going to watch me sleep?!" she exclaimed, horrified.

"I said you couldn't leave my sight," he said, tilting his head down. "I can join you in the bedroom, or you may sleep on the couch. Whichever you prefer."

"But...what about when I shower and..._stuff?_" Ellie said, shaking her head.

He continued to stare at her.

"OH, hell no!" Johnny yelled. "I put my foot down!"

"Yeah, absolutely not!" Ellie said, her face red as a beet. L was absolutely not watching her shower...God, she'd rather die!

"Very well," he said quietly. "I may make an exception in that circumstance...but you are only allowed a certain amount of time. Is that agreeable?"

"Yes!" Ellie exclaimed, grateful she had dodged that bullet.

Ellie inwardly smiled, sitting down on the sofa as her brother paced. She felt insane, but she was actually excited...she had a second chance to get to know L, and it was as if Christmas had come early. She kept telling herself not to let her crush resurface, seeing as it could only cause problems...but, she wasn't she was going to have any control of it.

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**A/N: Okay, I had to include that scene from the series...Why? Because it was the most awesome burn...EVER! And I wanted it in my story :) Don't worry, this won't follow Death Note, but some things are going to be similar. I'm sure you can tell. I wanted Death Notes to be in my story, though, because it just didn't feel right without them! I'm sure most of you are relieved Ellie didn't turn into a murderer, and actually, I was surprised that anyone thought she would! But, I'm the author, so I'm sure its way different from my view. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update my friends!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: I'm soooo sorry this took so long! It's been painful for me too, seeing as I've had so many ideas for this story! My surgery went well. It was pretty brutal, though, I won't lie. I was in the hospital for almost a week, and when I got home...all I did was sleep. Anyway, I wasn't feeling very motivated to do much of anything. BUT, I'm back! I fully intend to finish this story. Thank you to all of you that have patiently waited and wished me luck with my surgery. I've got some loyal readers here, and that definitely puts a smile on my face! I hope this is worth the wait! **

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**Last to Know: Chapter Eleven**

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Ellie watched as L held her Death Note by the top with his usual two fingers. His eyes were flitting across the inside at a shocking speed, and she found herself wondering if he could actually read that fast.

"Obviously, this Death Note needs to be tested," L said suddenly from behind the book. "I can arrange for two death row inmates. One to write, and the other one to have their name written the same time they are set to be executed. If the inmate lives, he will be pardoned from execution, receiving life in prison instead. If it can be confirmed that this notebook does kill, we will indeed have our murder weapon-"

"No!" Ellie exclaimed, jumping off the couch and causing L to look at her solemnly.

"No? I assure you, it is quite necessary-"

"_No_, its not!" Ellie cut him off, crossing her arms. "Clearly, Shinigami are real," she pointed to Osamu. "These are peoples lives you're gambling with; haven't enough people already died? If you do this, the man _will _die and you could be _condemning _the other man who wrote his name! Osamu told me that a human that uses the Death Note can go to neither Heaven or Hell—Would you really do that to someone?"

L continued holding the notebook with his fingers as he watched her. His intelligent eyes were clearly processing her words; thinking them over. Ellie was appalled that L would ever consider doing something like that. Shinigami were real, so wasn't that enough to prove that the Death Note was real too? Of course, she understood it was the analytical part of him that was demanding to make one-hundred percent sure—but at what cost? Wouldn't the guilt eat him alive? She'd regret ever bringing him the notebook if he ever did such a thing.

"I understand your argument," he said in a low voice after a moments pause. "But, I assure you that the men it will be tested on are already murderers. If it is possible, I'm sure they would already be—as you say, 'condemned.'—For the sake of the investigation, I believe it to be quite necessary."

Ellie fumed. "I should have never brought that to you; If you kill those criminals, what makes you any different than the killer?"

"I agree with Ellora." Johnny spoke for the first time, standing up from his chair and nodding at her in approval.

L said nothing, but continued giving her a critical and cold stare. She shivered lightly, but stood her ground. Osamu floated beside her, and she glanced up at him to see his red eyes focused on L. Clearly, the Shinigami was not fond of him.

"Well? Answer me!" she snapped, crossing her arms. "What makes you any different than him if you do that?"

"Because I will solve this case," L answered, irritation sweeping through his orbs. "The quicker this case is solved, the more lives will be saved. Isn't that the ultimate goal?"

"You're trying to justify something that is morally wrong with logic," Ellie spat. "I know you said you were low when it came to solving a case; but murder? That's a new low; even for you. I know you hate losing, but maybe you should grow up and stop trying to take the easy way out."

She couldn't help it. Her words had a double meaning to them, and from the flash in his eyes, he had caught it too.

"This also has to do with the fact I never contacted you," L said lowly. "For which you are upset, but can we please focus-"

"It has everything to do with the case!" Ellie snapped, cutting him off yet again. "As for me, you had a choice; you took the easy way out and it _was_ a rotten thing to do! This is no different than that. Stop acting like a child!"

She struck a nerve, she saw it in his suddenly pitiless eyes. He had definitely worked on his hard stare as Osamu shifted beside her.

"Matthew, L...whoever the hell you are," Johnny sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Ellie is right. Think about it; enough people are dying. There's no need to take more human lives."

L's dark gaze shifted to Johnny and back to her, clearly seeing that he was outnumbered. She wondered if he'd to it anyway, regardless of their opinion. He definitely could without them knowing, but she just hoped that he wouldn't. At least she had stood up for what she believed to be right.

"If you do that, the human will die." Osamu voiced for the first time, snapping L's attention to him.

"Very well," L said, looking at the Shinigami in thought. "Since you are a God of death, will you write a name in your Death Note? It will be much more convenient that way. We'll use a death row inmate that has not been publicly announced...If he dies, it will be contributed to Kira. However, we will know different-"

"NO!" Ellie said, looking at Osamu as he stared at L with his unwavering eyes.

"I do not like you, human," Osamu hissed to L. "Feel lucky that I do not write _your_ name in my Death Note. You have a lot of guts to ask me, a Shinigami, to take a life for you."

"My name?" L asked in a low voice, tilting his head down as Ellie gulped. Of course, Osamu could see L's name _right now_; right above his head! Jealously and longing to know ran through her.

"I have the eyes of a Shinigami," Osamu said. "I can see your name right now, heh heh." Osamu cackled as shock darted through L's eyes. "But do not worry, I will not kill you, nor will I divulge your name to another human. We Shinigami are forbidden from doing that."

L stared at Osamu, before glancing at Ellie for moments.

"I will kill a human if Ellora asks me too," Osamu said suddenly. "There are my terms. Since she has never used her notebook, I will kill a human if she asks; but only then."

"Miss Lafleur-" L started instantly.

"You can forget that!" she shot back. "You're barking up the wrong tree. You know good and well I would never do something like that; so don't waste your time."

"I see..." L said lowly after moments, but Ellie knew she had convinced him of nothing. He simply knew this wasn't an argument that was going to get anywhere, so he was dropping it. "Very well, I'd like to question Miss Lafleur now."

Ellie nodded, a ball of dread filling her stomach and she slowly sank into the couch beside L's chair. Johnny sat back in his seat, running his hand through his hair again; it was his nervous habit.

"I need to question her alone." L said to Johnny with a somber expression.

"I don't-" Johnny started, only to be cut off by Ellie.

"It'll be fine, Johnny," Ellie said imploringly. "Just go; I'll call you, okay?"

Johnny looked at her for moments and threw L an angry glare.

"Fine." he sighed, standing and leaving the room in a huff.

Ellie frowned. She knew he wasn't mad at her; but he was ticked at L. It was best to just let him go and cool off.

"I'm going to ask this again: Have you ever used the Death Note?" L asked, bringing her out of her thoughts and snapping her attention to him.

"I'm going to repeat myself: No, I haven't." she sighed, crossing her arms and looking down at her lap.

"Mmm...no, you need to look at me."

She brought her eyes up, lifting an eyebrow as her eyes met his obsidian ones. He was staring at her intently, and she realized that he wanted eye contact; in case she decided to lie. He was that good at telling if people were lying?

"Would you voluntarily submit yourself to a Polygraph test?" he asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Uh, you mean a lie detector test?" she said with uncertainty. Why couldn't he just call it that like everyone else?

"Yes." he said plainly, his mouth twitching slightly.

"I-I suppose..." she said, nerves slightly rising. It wasn't that she intended on lying; she just didn't fully trust those machines.

Without a word, L leaped from his chair and shuffled into the other room. Ellie watched quietly as he disappeared behind a door; returning quickly with the machine in his pale hands.

_'Hey, what do you know? He can do things himself.' _Ellie thought sarcastically to herself as he sat the machine down on the coffee table with cords everywhere.

"I don't particularly care for having to do this sort of thing myself," L mumbled; putting his thumb to his lip and lifting one of the cords by two fingers with his other hand. "Seeing as Watari is otherwise preoccupied, it appears I have no choice and no patience to wait – Please stand."

"You poor thing, you." Ellie said as she stood, rolling her eyes at his whining.

He glanced at her, and she stared back and him innocently.

"Lift your arms." he said in a low voice, barely moving his lips.

"Er – okay." she answered, lifting her arms straight up in the air.

"Where's Watari?" she asked suddenly as he approached her, making her nerves spike.

Her breath caught in her throat when he stopped mere inches from her, causing her to quickly look down so he wouldn't see the flush staining her cheeks.

"He's retrieving your belongings from the car." He said in a bland voice that was dangerously close to her.

He stretched out the cord, wrapping it around her mid-section; making her shiver as his arm lightly brushed against her side. She could have sworn she even felt a slight pause in his movements from the accidental touch; but he had concealed it very well. She reached around and pulled her hair from under the wire, seeing as he'd carelessly wrapped the cord around it. She lifted it out of the way and glanced at him to see him watching her movements with his penetrating stare. Looking down shyly, she felt him move away to get another cord before approaching her again.

Taking a slow deep breath; her knees went weak as a familiar scent crept into her nose. The scent that had haunted her dreams for the past two years. The smell of sugar, coffee, hotel soap...and something that was distinctly, L. She couldn't even compare it to anything; It was just _him_. It was a raw smell; something forbidden. She also connected the scent to knowledge and cleverness. It was pleasant enough, and she found herself taking another slow, deep breath as he hooked another wire around her waist. She felt _extremely_ creepy, but her mind felt as though it had been robbed – cheated if you will. To her irritation, she noticed he was being careful not to touch her this time.

She was brought out of her musings as he stepped away from her; taking his scent with him.

"Please sit." he ordered, pointing a spidery finger towards the couch.

She instantly plopped down on the sofa, watching as he moved the machine to the seat beside her. He moved in front of her, and she gulped as she saw his knee was merely centimeters from brushing against hers.

"Lift your right arm." he ordered, and she looked up to him; seeing that he was holding what looked like a blood-pressure cup. His onyx eyes were looking down at her coldly. Was it her imagination, or had his stare grown frigid and even more callous? It was strange, and it made her uneasy in his presence. Immediately, she had noticed something different in that intelligent gaze than before. It was as though he'd grown obstinate – almost insensate. Did his job have an even bigger impact on him? It felt as though he was letting his humanity go – little by little – as the years passed; which definitely wasn't good.

Looking away, she lifted her arm and he tightly wrapped it around her upper arm, taking great care not to touch her; much to her displeasure. She winced slightly as he wrapped it a little too tight for comfort.

He ignored her and picked up some tiny, black cups she assumed went on her fingers.

"Your left hand, please," he said lowly as she lifted her small hand towards him. "You're going to have to take that ring off." he hands paused in the air, his eyes cutting through her.

Ellie frowned and looked at the Claddagh ring on her pointer finger. It had been a gift from her grandfather to her grandmother, and she had instantly thought it was beautiful; taking a fit over it. Her grandma had left it to her when she died, and she rarely took it off.

"Fine." she mumbled, sliding her ring off and slipping it in her jeans pocket for safe keeping.

He gently slipped the little black cups on four of her fingers, and she dropped her hand down when he was done.

Swiftly, he hopped to the other side of the couch, assuming his perch position; facing her. He reached down and flipped the switch on the machine; her watching in fascination as the little needles moved in squiggle lines with her heartbeat.

"Look away." he ordered causing her gaze to lift to him. He was holding a pen from the top and her eyes narrowed in on it, amused.

"You write like that?" she giggled, completely unsurprised at this newly revealed oddity.

He gave her his hard, unyielding stare. "Yes, I do."

Ellie's eyes flicked over him. "What's wrong with you? You're not the L I remember..." she trailed off, looking at him suspiciously.

"You're right; I'm not," he said impassively, his eyes trained on her. "People always change over time, Miss Lafleur. You, yourself, are different."

"Perhaps, but you're worse than you were." she said carefully as he watched her.

"I'm afraid I do not know what you're referring to," he responded in a deadpan voice, looking down to the graph. "Now, if you don't mind; I'd like to start my questioning."

She huffed, but didn't respond. It didn't matter; she'd bring it up later.

"Is your full name Ellora Layla Lafleur?" he asked in his monotonous voice. She rolled her eyes at the silly question, but she supposed he needed to check the machine first.

"Yes." she said, her eyes flicking towards the machine for moments, seeing him put a tiny check mark next to her heart rate.

"Is your birthday on the sixteenth of May?"

"Yes." Another check.

"Stop looking, Miss Lafleur."

She sighed and forced herself to turn her head and look at the wall.

"Did you bring me the Death Note with the intent to help me in this investigation?"

"Yes, of course." Ellie responded. How could he ask that? Of course she wanted to help him!

"Have you ever used the Death Note?"

Ellie rolled her eyes. "For the millionth time: no!"

L rallied almost at once. "Is it true that the Shinigami died to save you, and that you did not write James Peterson's name in the Death Note yourself?"

"Yes, I didn't write his name." Ellie sighed. It somewhat bothered her that he could even question that.

"Does the Death Note – to your knowledge – work?"

"Yes, I believe it does."

"You also believe the killer has their own Death Note?"

"Yes, how else could they be killing all those people with heart attacks?"

"Do you have any knowledge on who the killer might be?" he asked after a moments pause.

"No." Ellie answered, sighing.

"Would you ever use the Death Note?"

"No."

L paused, and out of instinct, her eyes darted to the detector – seeing that some of the needles were going crazy. Panic soared through her, making the needles go even more haywire.

"Let me rephrase that question," L said solemnly, looking up at her with the pen in his hand. "Would you use the Death Note if you were in a position where you had to save a loved one?"

Ellie thought for a minute...Would she use the Death Note to save Johnny? She supposed she would; wouldn't she? She could never sit by and let Johnny die, not after all that he'd done for her.

"I suppose I would." she said quietly, looking down at the needles to see the squiggles were much calmer.

L said nothing, but made a check mark beside the lines. He no longer was barking at her to look away, but she did so anyway; looking at the wall in thought. Did that make her a good person; or a murderer?

"Do you intend to do all you can to help me solve this case, with the exception of using the Death Note?"

Her heart fluttered. He wanted her to help him again! She willed herself to calm down before she set off that blasted machine again.

"Yes." she said quietly, hoping it didn't look like she was lying.

"Would you ever ask the Shinigami for my real identity?"

Her heart pumped. "N-no..."

"You're lying."

Ellie whipped her head around, meeting two very lethal, very black eyes.

"Well, I'm curious! But that's all; I swear!" she squeaked.

"Do you wish to know my true identity for any purposes other than mere curiosity?" he asked in a convicting voice, looming darkly beside her.

"_No_!" Ellie gasped, shaking her head imploringly. "I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt you!"

The words were out of her mouth, but she couldn't take them back. He was leaning towards her, his suspicious stare lightening up some at her declaration, causing him to look down at the machine. He saw that she was, indeed, telling the truth.

He settled back in his position, letting his cold eyes focus on her again.

"Have you resolved your feelings for me?" he asked in a low voice.

The machine needle jumped.

"_Come on_, that's not fair!" she protested, glaring at him. "I don't see what that has to do with the case!"

"Just answer the question." he demanded in a cold voice, staring at her.

"I will do no such thing." she said stubbornly, glaring at him. How dare he ask her personal questions while hooked up to a polygraph machine!

"You're proving your guilt right now."

Ellie glared at him, ripping off the cup on her arm and fingers. "The only thing you're proving is that you're still a huge asshole."

"And you're proving yourself to still be exceedingly childish." he retorted blandly, appearing not to be bothered.

"_I'm_ childish? Mr. I hate to lose? That's real fresh." she snapped, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "I cannot _believe_ I fancied you! Look, here we are, having not even been around each other for a full day and we're _already _arguing! Clearly, we are not very compatible – even friendship wise."

"Teenagers are controlled by their hormones." he said matter-of-factually, as if that settled it by placing her temper and feelings on her 'teenage hormones.' She looked at him incredulously.

He slowly blinked. "What?"

Her lip trembled and she started laughing. "You're still funny, I see."

"I am not trying to be funny." he said seriously, his dark eyes narrowing. It just caused her to laugh harder at him.

Osamu was faintly humming to himself in the background, causing L to give him a stare before flicking his orbs back to her as she giggled.

"Are you intoxicated?" he asked, his usually bland baritone flicking in irritation.

"_No_," she said, smiling at him. "You're just funny, and you're not even trying to be. Its just...you're so serious and so confident—its _comical_."

He stared at her, looking at though he was thinking over her words.

"Well, I'm glad you are amused," he said in a tone that suggested he was anything but that. "But we have a serious case to think about. This is why you're such a problem. I do want your deductive reasoning skills, but I'm not quite sure its worth the distraction you always prove yourself to be. I suppose, while you're still a suspect, I have no choice."

"Well, stop letting yourself be distracted by my charm then." she joked, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

For moments, he looked taken aback and she giggled at him.

"I do not allow myself to be distracted, it is unavoidable," he said resolutely. "You are the most distracting person I have ever came in contact with. If you aren't distracting someone with your actions, you're distracting them with you words. If its not that, its your clothing or mannerisms-"

"My clothing?" she stared at him, and he instantly fell quiet, his large eyes widening slightly. However, he rallied at once.

"I can see you are not quite as shy as you use to be," he said darkly. "What a pity; it kept you quiet at times."

"Wait, wait," she said, holding her hands up. She was greatly amused, but at the same time, her heart was pumping in excitement.

"Are you trying to tell me that you were distracted by my _clothing_?"

"You would pick that." he grumbled, looking down and picking up the polygraph machine. Surely, she wasn imagining it; but she could have _sworn_ she saw a slight blush staining his pale cheeks as he sat the machine on the coffee table.

"You're _blushing_!" she exclaimed in shock, before gripping her sides and bursting into laughter.

"I am not blushing!" he hissed in a lethally calm voice as he quickly hopped up from the couch. His tone should have frightened her, but for some reason it didn't. She was ninety percent sure he'd just inadvertently admitted to checking her out at some point, and _that_ thought gave her great joy. Of course, he was a man, so perhaps she shouldn't be that flattered. A man could check out a woman and still hate her guts.

"Fine, if you say so, oh so smart one." she smirked, crossing her legs as he hopped into his chair.

"You're more confident than you were." he observed, his face color completely normal as if to convince her that she had been seeing things. Perhaps she had?

She shrugged, slightly uncomfortable. "I suppose so."

Her ears focused on Osamu's humming in the silence, and her eyes widened when she realized what tune he was humming to himself.

"How do you know that Mu?" she asked, turning around to look at him over the back of the couch with big eyes.

Osamu blinked, apparently snapping out of a trance he was in. He grunted as he looked at her startled expression.

"Uh, Keevel use to sing it every night-"

"_What_?!" Ellie said, startled. How did he know her...lullaby? Had he really been watching her that long?

"I can't remember the words for the life of me," Osamu grunted. "Just the damn tune. To be completely honest, its getting on my nerves."

"You're the song that the tree sings when the wind blows; You're a flower, you're a river, you're a rainbow..." she smiled as memories of her mother swarmed her mind. "I loved you the first time I saw you," she continued, watching Osamu with a small smile. "And I always will love you...Ellie."

She lightly chuckled as a tear ran down her cheek. Funny how things turn out. Back then, it was embarrassing when her mom sang it when she grew older, but now...she wouldn't care if her mother shouted it from the rooftops. Even so, the Shinigami had been watching her since she was a child? The thought disturbed her slightly, but at the same time it made her past seem more secure than it actually felt.

"Yes, that's the song Keevel would sing when he watched you." Osamu said, nodding and looking satisfied at knowing the words.

"Wow—he really did love me, didn't he?" Ellie frowned. Odd, who would have thought she'd feel guilt about causing the death of a God of death? The creature probably spent eons taking human lives and here she was, feeling guilty over its death.

"Yes, he did." Osamu said solemnly, flicking his red eyes off to the side towards L.

Ellie flushed as she remembered L was sitting in the same room as her. She turned back around and whipped her eyes to him, seeing him staring at her sternly.

"Seriously, though..." she trailed off awkwardly. "What happened to you?"

She wasn't exactly a professional at changing subjects, and she had a feeling that it was completely obvious as her cheeks warmed.

L said nothing, but continued staring as though he was contemplating his answer.

"My intelligence has grown by approximately 34 percent." he said after a moments pause, barely moving his lips.

"So, that makes you less human?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "Stop getting smarter, your heads gonna explode." she smirked.

"That is physiologically impossible," L murmured. "And no, it does not make me less human. I am a human being, regardless of the level of my intelligence."

Ellie clicked her tongue in irritation. "Mhm, I see. Well, what is the percentage that I'm a mass murderer?"

L's eyes narrowed. "Just under 5 percent."

"You're lying." Ellie sighed, shaking her head.

"What makes you believe that?" he tilted his head down, looking at her as he grasped his knees.

"Why would you feel the need to watch me twenty four seven if you only suspected me by _five percent_?" Ellie said sarcastically as he put his thumb to his mouth. "I'll admit that I can be a little naive, but I'm not _stupid_."

"Very well," he said after a moments pause. "your chance of guilt is closer to 40 percent. Even so, that is because you brought me this book-" he raised the Death Note with two fingers. "-and that in itself is very incriminating. Also, you likely resent me and it is human nature to want to cause me harm after what you believed to be true about me. All of which point towards guilt. Your parents were essentially killed by a criminal; you were almost murdered by a criminal—I know you see why I am correct in suspecting you."

Ellie was taken aback. How could he possibly think she'd want to hurt him? Didn't the lie detector test just prove that she wouldn't ever hurt him? Perhaps he thought there was a possibility she could trick it...

"If I wanted to hurt _you_, then why would I kill Lind L. Tailor?" Ellie snapped, leaning towards him. "I've met you before, and I knew that man wasn't you. Clearly, you were drawing the killer out – trying to make them angry. By killing that man, it only proved that the deaths were not coincidence; but murder. Why would I do that when I already knew what you looked like? I would know it was a ploy, so why would I kill a stand in like that and let you win?"

"I have considered all that you are explaining, Miss Lafleur," L said expressionlessly. "but I'm afraid I still suspect you; your predicament is far too..._convenient_ to ignore. It is hard enough to believe that even one of these Death books exist and have made it to the human world – but two? I'm sure I do not need to explain how unlikely that is. Especially when Peterson died of a sudden heart attack; with you having this killing note book that has his name in it..." he trailed off and gave her a hard stare, making her gulp.

"You say it is because a God of death was in love with you, therefore he gave up his immortal life to save your mortal one. As you can imagine, I find that very difficult to believe, as would anyone with a fully functional brain. In any case, it is far more believable that you, in fact, wrote Peterson's name down – or the God of death beside you wrote his name down at your command. He said not too long ago he would kill if you asked him to, and that makes me more suspicious of what took place that day..." he trailed off as he picked up a spoon, stirring his tea lightly while he kept his gaze on her.

"It is human nature to do anything to save your own life, but now you're tied to _this_ murderer. It's suspicious – I am not one to ignore detail. You are a suspect until I deem you otherwise. I assure you, nothing you can say at the moment will even budge my present assessment."

Ellie rolled her eyes at him, having already expected him to respond that way. It didn't hurt to hope. Still, a small part of her was stinging that he suspected her _that_ much. She saw his point, but she was hoping that he'd just _know _it wasn't her. But she wasn't foolish enough to believe that would ever be enough for someone as analytical as him.

"Fine, but don't expect me not to try to defend myself when you start accusing me of being all vigilante," she smirked. "Besides, the killings aren't going to stop because I'm not the killer. Wouldn't that be enough to tell you it wasn't me?"

"Mmm, I've considered that possibility."

_'Of course you have.' _Ellie thought sarcastically.

"However," he continued, looking down and picking up a tea cup in his strange way. "I'm afraid that doesn't completely excuse you from any involvement whatsoever."

She raised her eyebrows. "So, you're holding me hostage until the culprit is caught?"

L ran his thumb across his bottom lip in thought. Ellie found her eyes drawn to his elegant fingers. His fingernails were very short, and had to the look of being bitten off. Well, not that it surprised her that he had that bad habit also. Her eyes trailed up his white, slender thumb, to his bottom lip. It was pale also, but had the slightest hint of pink if you looked closely.

_'His lips look really smooth...I bet they taste like sugar.' _she thought before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened and she forced herself to look away as a blush stained her cheeks at her thoughts.

"That may be necessary," he said suddenly, making her jump. She'd forgotten she'd even asked him a question. "As of now, you are my only suspect. I _will _solve this case. The killer has accepted my challenge, and now its only a matter of time before I can sentence them to death."

Ellie's stomach crashed. She told herself that she wasn't included in that statement, but she knew she was. Could he really...do that _her_? She supposed if she was a mass murderer, she'd deserve it – but still, it would be that easy for him? It didn't matter. Who was she kidding – this was L she was talking about here. The more she was willing to accept he had no feelings, the better off she'd be.

"I see." she said tersely.

L's eyes focused on her, and she had a feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Ellie was distracted when she heard the hotel room door open and she sighed in relief. Turning around, she looked to see Watari walking in, carrying his arms full of bags. One of his arms held Snowbell in his cage. She instantly shot up from the couch and ran over to him.

"Oh Watari, here," she said kindly, taking Snowbell and her purse from him. "Let me help you."

"You're very sweet, Miss Lafleur," Watari said, making her blush lightly as she sat Snowbell's cage down in the floor. He was very excited as she got down on her knees in front of the cage.

"Hey there buddy!" Ellie said, and Snowbell gave an encouraging yip.

She and Watari laughed as she unlatched the cage, causing the tiny dog to leap in her arms at a startling speed.

"He didn't give you any problems, did he?" Ellie asked as Snowbell climbed over her shoulder, making her giggle as he sniffed at her neck.

"No, I do believe he remembered me." Watari smiled, reaching his free hand out to pat the dog on the head. Snowbell gave a yip of approval, making her giggle.

"I'll take your things to your room, Miss Lafleur." Watari said, making Ellie stand up instantly.

"No, I can do-"

"I insist." he said, smiling at her and walking away with her bags.

"Thank you, Watari!" Ellie called after him, turning to L with Snowbell in her arms.

"You still have that thing?"

Ellie eyes widened. That _thing_?

"He is not a _thing_," Ellie hissed, clutching the dog to her protectively. "He's a very sweet dog! And yes, why wouldn't I?"

L watched her impassively before looking down to the cakes in front of him, shrugging his shoulders lightly.

Ellie smirked at an idea. She quickly walked up to him, her movement not going unnoticed by L. His eyes immediately snapped up to her, without lifting his dark head.

"Would you like to hold him?" Ellie asked sweetly, holding Snowbell out towards him. Snowbell, apparently, was okay with him holding him; seeing as he was taking a fit trying to get out of her hands and into his lap.

"No, thank you." L said, looking at the hyper dog with a blank expression.

"But, he likes you!" Ellie said as Snowbell whined at L.

L just sat there, unmoving.

"Just pet him then?" Ellie asked, raising her eyebrow. "He won't bite!"

"Will it appease you if I agree?" L asked in a bored tone, flicking his eyes to her.

"Well...It won't make me happy," she mused, scrunching her nose. "But I would be pleased, yes."

She smiled as he narrowed his eyes at her. He looked down at the hyper dog extended towards him and lifted his long fingered hand off his knee. He hesitantly brought his hand down, lightly poking Snowbell on the top of the head before placing his hand back on his knee.

Ellie gaped at him. "You _poked_ him on the head; you didn't pet him."

L's eyes narrowed even further, but he lifted his hand again, slowly moving it towards Snowbell. He poked him on the head again, then he gently patted the dog on the head, making Snowbell yip happily.

Snowbell jerked his head up suddenly, licking L's long fingers. Ellie never saw L move so quickly as he jerked his hand away as though he'd been burned with a fleeting disgusted expression.

"Oh for God's sake," Ellie rolled her eyes, laughing as he held his hand away from himself as though it was contaminated. "It's dog saliva, not acid."

L said nothing, but took her by surprise as he leaped from the chair. He shoved his 'clean' hand in one pocket, and held the other one out in front of him as though he was trying to feel his way around in the dark. Ellie smiled as he walked around her and towards the kitchen. She assumed to wash his hands as she sat Snowbell down and followed him.

Sure enough, she entered the kitchen and saw the sleeves of his white shirt shoved up to his elbows. Her eyes trailed up his lower arms, raising her eyebrows at the hairless, smooth skin. She could see his blue veins contrasting against his pale skin on his thin wrists, making him look somewhat vampiric. She watched as he lathered his hands, rubbing the soap quickly as he stood hunched over the sink. For some reason, it was odd to see him do something so normal as washing his hands. She was pretty sure it was the first task she saw him do where he didn't do it differently from everyone else.

She bit her lip as she saw his tendons flex under his pale skin as he grabbed the dishcloth, drying his hands quickly. He removed it with his two fingers and let it drop in the sink before grabbing his sleeves and shoving them back down.

"Are all the bad germs gone?" she asked sarcastically, raising her eyebrow.

"Are you aware of the revolting things dogs do?" he asked in a monotone voice. "They will eat other animals feces-"

"_Ew_!" Ellie groaned, cutting him off. "Snowbell does _not _eat that."

"Oh, so you watch him every moment of the day then?" he asked, walking by her and making her tense slightly as his scent drifted past her.

"No," she said, sighing as she turned around and followed him back to the main area. "But I've never seen him do anything too discusting. Besides, there are way more germs in the human mouth than there are a dogs. Yet people kiss each other and share food all the time."

He hopped up on his chair, saying nothing but continued looking at her darkly as if to say, 'Well, I don't.'

Ellie rolled her eyes. Did that mean he'd never been kissed?

"Well, with the exception of you," she said, walking over and sitting on the couch_. _"Even so, your mouth is way grosser than his."

"_Grosser _is not a word," L said in rebuttal, putting his thumb to his mouth. "At least, not in the context with which you are using it. A grosser is a movie that earns a specified level of gross profit or-"

"Oh my God," Ellie groaned, rolling her eyes and cutting him off. "Thank you, _Webster dictionary_, but that's quite enough."

L fell quiet, nibbling on his thumb and watching her, making her feel tense.

"Now," he said after a moments pause. "I have many more questions. Seeing as you ripped off the cords of the polygraph machine..." Ellie flushed. "I will continue my questioning without it. In any case, I am certain it is unnecessary as I seem to still be able to tell whether or not you are lying."

"Still?" she questioned, raising her eyebrow.

"Yes, your facial features change when you lie," L mused, running his thumb across his lip. "It is quite obvious, well, at least to me. You aren't a very good liar, nor are you very talented in telling when other are lying. In fact, you are quite able to believe those who lie that posses even the slightest amount of skill. I attribute that to your inability to properly deceive others, though."

Her mouth fell open slightly. "Well, _God_, why don't you just insult me?"

"It was not meant as an insult; just a fact." L said blankly, picking up his tea cup.

"How do my facial features change?"

He brought her eyes up to a moment, as though he was contemplating even telling her.

"You look highly uncomfortable, as though you are trying to force something that is against your very own nature." he answered quietly. "Also, you blush quite a lot. So much that it cannot necessarily be connected to lying, for you blush at many emotions you feel."

Of course, her face flushed as she narrowed her eyes at his assessment.

"Embarrassment seems to happen quite often." he mused, his mouth twitching slightly.

"Can you just pretend you don't notice?" Ellie snapped, flushing deeper. "And next time, please keep your personal observations of me to yourself."

"You asked-"

"I know," she grumbled. "I wish I _hadn't_."

"In any case, I will resume my questioning."

Her body tensed slightly. She had assumed it was over, but he really hadn't asked her that much. No doubt he'd question her the entire time she was being held captive...even though it really wasn't against her will.

"Fine." she groaned, looking up at him as his onslaught began.

_Three hours later _

Ellie groaned from the couch she was laying on. L had asked everything he could possibly think of about the Death Note, half of which she didn't even know. Questions like: where did it first come from?...Hell, Osamu didn't even know that. For the most part, she had stuck to a simply yes or no to appease him. At first, she had responded sarcastically, but after a while, she simply stopped caring and answered directly, which he seemed to appreciate.

"I'm tired," she complained, looking at him upside down from the couch. "And hungry. Can we _stop _for now? Not all people are robots like you. I can't go and go forever!"

"You've went to the bathroom once," L said, biting his nail. "Apart from that and changing positions on the couch, you haven't _gone _anywhere."

"Whatever." she grumbled, groaning as she pulled herself vertical again, glaring at him. "Can I eat? You've hoovered an entire cake and I've had nothing."

"I offered you some cake," L said, tilting his head down.

She scrunched her nose. "My stomach is empty. I can't eat sweets on an empty stomach, I'll get sick."

L sighed, sounding somewhat exasperated, causing Ellie to raise her eyebrows. She was sure she hadn't heard him do that before.

"What do you want?" he asked in an equally exasperated voice.

"Uh..." Ellie blinked, looking at him with a slightly shocked expression. "McDonalds?"

L looked at her for moments. "What from McDonalds?"

"I want a Big Mac," she said, her stomach grumbling. She usually tried to avoid McDonalds, for obvious reasons, but...a Big Mac sounded _really _good to her right now. "With no pickles!" she added, scrunching her nose. "Oh, and a strawberry milkshake." she smiled.

He looked at her blandly, pulling out his phone and diverting his attention to it. He pushed a button and held it to his ear in his strange way.

"Yes, Watari, can you please get Miss Lafleur a Big Mac meal with a strawberry milkshake," he murmured. "Yes...and four apple pies. Get me a strawberry milkshake as well...yes." he hung up and looked at her.

"You forgot to say no pickles!" Ellie exclaimed, horrified. She _hated _pickles on her burgers.

"I did not forget," L said, putting his phone in his pocket. "You can simply pick them off."

"But," she whined. "If they're on there, it leaves the taste! Like, the pickle juice seeps off...infecting the entire burger!"

L looked at her like she was stupid.

"Don't _look _at me like that!" she said, crossing her arms. "It's true!"

"In any case," he murmured, ignoring her. "I have work to do. Can you find it possible to be quiet, at least, until the food gets here?" he said, not waiting for an answer as he opened his laptop on the table in front of him.

"_Fine_." she scoffed, reaching down and pulling her purse off the floor, pulling out her iPod. She quickly stuck her skull candy headphones in, and she lay back on the couch, making sure she was facing the opposite direction he was sitting in. She kicked her shoes off, letting them fall in the floor as she propped a pillow behind her head, scrolling through her library. She settled on Marilyn Manson, turning it up as loud as it would go and reaching back to her purse again, pulling out her Kindle so she could read.

She decided to look at magazines, and pulled up an issue of Cosmopolitan. She shuffled through the fashion pages as 'Doll-Dagga Buzz-Buzz Ziggety-Zag.' played on her iPod, making her tap her foot against the arm rest on the couch.

_'Doll-dagga buzz-buzz ziggety-zag  
Godmod grotesque burlesque drag_

_All the thug rock kids are playin'_

_All the punk god angels sayin'  
"The toys are us and we don't even know"  
All the thug rock kids are playin'  
All the punk god angels sayin'  
"The toys are us and we don't even know"  
GO! GO! GO! Doppelgangers!  
(You're one of us! You're one of us!)  
GO GO GO - Throw your shapes doppelgangers  
You're one of us!'_

She smiled, tucking one arm behind her head and twisting her hair as she flipped through the pages of Cosmo. Her smile faded when, '_101 Sex Tips_.' showed up, and she jumped, quickly flipping through the pages. She knew without a doubt L could see what she was looking at from this angle, and she didn't need that embarrassment on her. She prayed he didn't even see that, but she doubted it, seeing as she was only on it for moments.

_'All the goose step girlies  
with the cursive faces  
We know it's all Braile beneath their skirts  
I'm bulletproof bizzop and swing heil and  
I don't really care what gentlemen prefer_

_Say, all you pin-down girls and  
Bonafide ballers, so manically depressed  
And manically dressed  
We got our "Venus not in furs"  
but "in Uniforms"_

_If you're not dancing, then you're dead  
Doll-dagga buzz-buzz ziggety-zag  
Godmod grotesque burlesque drag  
Doll-dagga buzz-buzz ziggety-zag  
Godmod grotesque burlesque drag' _

She frowned at the boring articles as the song switched to, 'Deformography."

She knew that L could probably faintly hear the music, but she really didn't care. Maybe a little music would make his life less stressful. She liked to have her headphones loud, and besides, she wasn't talking. Just liked he wanted. She almost snorted out loud. His rudeness hadn't changed. If anything, it had gotten worse. He was just too...Blunt. Of course, everyone had personal observations about people. Hell, even she had them about L. But unlike him, she didn't voice them out loud. He literally called out offensive, personal observations of people...looking at you blankly when you became offended. There was no doubt, L was an enigma. She hadn't decided if it was a good thing or not yet, though.

_'When you wish upon your star  
Don't let yourself fall, fall in too hard  
I fell into you and I'm on my back  
An insect decaying in your little trap  
I squirm into you, now I'm in your gut  
I fell into you, now I'm in a rut  
I lift you up like the sweetest angel,  
I'll tear you down like a whore.'_

Ellie froze slightly at the lyrics, but resolved to herself that even if L could hear...He probably became annoyed a song ago and blocked the faint sound out, she was sure. After all, Marilyn Manson didn't have the cleanest lyrics...If those shocked him, he'd pass out listening to Eminem. Either way, she liked both of them. They were both a little...erm, interesting. But, it didn't change the fact that they made good music. After all, she didn't even like rap, and she still liked Eminem. There was no way she was listening to that in front of him, though. She shivered at she thought about the song, 'Kim.' God, there was no telling what he'd think of her if he heard her listening to a song like that.

_'Rock star, yeah (you're such a dirty, dirty)  
Rock star, yeah (dirty, dirty, dirty)_

_You eat up my heart and all the little parts  
Your star is so sharp  
It leaves me jagged holes_

_I make myself sick just to poison you  
If I can't have you then no one will_

_You are the one I want and what I want is so unreal...'_

Ellie sighed at the lyrics. How incredibly fitting. _You are the one I want and what I want is so unreal_...She couldn't help but to relate that to her past infatuation with L. Ever since she had found out he hadn't set her up, she knew deep down that old feelings were coming back...Yet, for some reason, she felt like this time...she'd be able to have more control over them.

In her thoughts, she felt a tap on her shoulder, startling her and making her yelp and fall off the couch in surprise. She groaned and looked up from the floor, seeing Watari looking startled above her with a McDonalds bag and milkshake in his hand. Usually, she wouldn't be surprised with her headphones on. But, seeing as it was only her and L, she hadn't expected to be touched...but of course, it wasn't him.

She laughed, pulling her headphones out of her ears. "Sorry Watari, you startled me!" she chuckled, sitting up and pulling herself on her knees.

"I'm so sorry Miss Lafleur," Watari said, setting the McDonalds bag and milkshake on the table, holding a hand out to her.

"Its not your fault," Ellie chuckled, grabbing his hand and letting him pull her up. "I shouldn't be so jumpy."

She looked over at L, seeing him chewing and watching her impassively, holding an apple pie between his pointer and thumb, and a strawberry milkshake in his other hand.

_'Aw, he looks so cute...' _She thought against her will.

She blushed slightly and averted her eyes to the bag as Watari bowed and left the room, smiling and shaking his head slightly.

She sat down and grabbed the bag and dug her hand in, feeling L's stare on her and the only sound was his slight chewing.

She pulled out her fries, opening the big mac and pouring her fries in the other end of the box. She shoved some fries in her mouth, taking a sip of her milkshake. Feeling his eyes on her, she fidgeted in her seat, looking up at him while munching on a fry.

He was sucking down his milkshake at an alarming rate, his eyes focused on her.

"What was that offensive music you were listening to?"

Ellie almost choked on her fries. "What? Offensive?"

"Yes, the lyrics were quite inappropriate." L mused, taking another bite of his pie. "That is, the parts that weren't unintelligible racket."

"So? I like those songs," She shrugged, taking a sip of her milkshake. "Marilyn Manson isn't a very appropriate person...but, his music is very good."

"I see," L mused. "I actually know who he is. You didn't strike me as someone that would be a fan of someone like him...It seems like you've surprised me yet again."

Surprised him?

"You didn't strike me as a prude," Ellie said, raising her eyebrows. "You want to arrange murder just to prove to yourself that the Death Note works...Yet, I can't listen to rock and roll? _Wow_, you're interesting."

"I am not a prude," L said, reaching out and opening an apple pie. "Either way, that music is quite distracting."

"Everything I do distracts you," Ellie pointed out, taking a bite out of her burger after throwing the pickles in the empty bag with disgust. "I could sit here sock still, making no noise and you'd say I was distracting you and you know it."

L looked contemplative and he chewed his pie. "Perhaps you are right. In any case, it may be attributed by the fact I'm not use to having companionship while working. Since you can't leave my sight, I suppose I should get use to your presence."

Ellie's heart fluttered. What if he got use to her presence and liked her being around? Of course, she knew she was just being hopeful. He'd probably prefer solitude to her any day...

"I'll have to get use to you as well," she mused, taking another bite. "All your staring can be quite uncomfortable. It makes me feel like there's something wrong with how I look. Like I've got spinach in my teeth and you're internally laughing at me."

"I don't recall ever having seen anything stuck in your teeth, Miss Lafleur."

She chuckled. "Well, that's good, then..."

"I am not worried," he continued, looking up. "The average person sleeps five to eights hours a night. Then, it will get quiet so I can work."

She snorted, making his eyes dart to her face. "I wouldn't count on that if I were you."

"And why is that?" he asked, and she noted the hint of exasperation in his voice again.

"I talk in my sleep." she clarified, raising her eyebrow and taking the last bite of her burger.

"That is not necessarily a bad thing." L mused to himself. "Perhaps you will reveal something incriminating-"

"_Or _I'll ramble on about something unimportant and not make any sense." Ellie laughed, smiling as she ate a fry. That was much more likely to happen, if what her friends and Osamu told her was anything to go by.

"She talks in her sleep every night," Osamu spoke up for the first time, startling Ellie. She forgot about his presence sometimes. "Once she said, 'Pizza is too greasy, I want a BIG CHEESEBURGER!' Well, Ellie, you got your cheeseburger..." Osamu cackled.

Ellie flushed, glaring at Osamu. With her mouth full of fries, and now this...she was starting to feel fat.

"Well, maybe I was hungry..." Ellie trailed off. "Maybe you should find something else to do at night other than watch me sleep like some creeper." Ellie laughed.

"Why would I?" Osamu cackled. "When watching you is pure entertainment?"

"Creepy God of Death..." Ellie mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"If you become too annoying, I'll simply get some ear plugs." L mused, ignoring Osamus and her bickering.

"Actually, I'd prefer that." she murmured, thinking about her semi erotic dreams about L himself. Osamu knew she was still somewhat attracted to him because of it. Every now and then, she said his name in her sleep...well, she said his alias. Another longing ran through her to know his true name. She glanced at the floating shinigami with jealously. He knew. Right now; he knew L's real name...She wondered what it was. She would bet it was a name as unusual as he was.

If L heard her murmur, he didn't say anything. She sighed to herself as L's cell phone went off. Of course, he didn't have any ring tone. Just a simple ringing noise, how boring.

"Yes? Yes, let Mister Lafleur in now." L said, snapping his phone shut. "Your brother is coming."

Ellie smiled, looking at the clock and raising her eyebrows. It was already nine pm? It surely didn't feel that way.

The hotel door opened and Johnny came in, carrying two milkshakes and a bag of what appeared to be snacks.

Ellie smiled, hopping off the couch at Johnny who was giving her a small smile and glancing at Osamu warily.

"You got me a milkshake?" she smiled, putting her hands behind her back.

"I already got her a milkshake." L murmured, looking up from his laptop.

Johnny's smile fell from his face as he glared at L. "Well, I got her _another _one."

"I want another one," Ellie said quickly, noticing the tense air as she grabbed it from Johnny. "I always want another milkshake."

Johnny smiled. "Well, I figured we could watch a movie or something before I head out..."

Ellie smiled. He was concerned about her staying her with L and wanted any excuse to stick around for as long as possible.

"Okay, that sounds fun," Ellie smiled, looking back at L. "Is that okay with you?"

L was biting his thumbnail. "Yes, I suppose. I've done enough questioning for today...one movie should be fine. I can work during it."

"Woo!" Ellie said, smiling. "Let me put my pjs on."

She ran into the bedroom, opening one of her bags and pulling out a black tank top some pink hello kitty pj shorts. She quickly threw them on and ran her brush through her hair. For some reason, she felt giddy; It felt like she was having a sleepover...a sleepover with L. Of course, the sleepovers with him she imagined didn't include her _brother_ – but still, it was somewhat exciting. She grabbed the duvet off the bed and a pillow. She was convinced L would much rather remain in the main area when she slept, and she really didn't mind sleeping on the couch.

She opened the door, holding a pillow and dragging out the duvet. L turned to look at her when she emerged, dragging the blanket over to the couch where Johnny was sitting. His eyes flicked over her and he turned back to the computer.

"Planning on sleeping?" Johnny chuckled as she flopped on the couch, clutching the pillow in her lap and pulling the blanket up beside her.

"Later." she smiled, reaching forward and grabbing the remote off the table, turning the tv on and flicking through the guide.

"Ooohhh, lookie here," Ellie smirked, seeing that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets had just started. "I know you don't like these movies but-"

"No, watch whatever you want baby." Johnny said, giving her a small smile and ruffling her hair.

"Can I turn out the lights?" Ellie asked L, standing from the couch.

"If you must." L mumbled, typing on his laptop and she quickly flipped the switches and jumped back on the couch, picking up the remote.

Ellie smiled, turning the movie on and picking up her milkshake. "Do you like Harry Potter?" Ellie asked, looking at L.

"Mmm, I've never seen the movies," he said, not looking away from his laptop. "Not many movies interest me."

Ellie longed to ask him what movies _did_, but she supposed she could wait and just watch the movie with her brother. She shrugged and watched Harry say 'Diagon Alley' wrong as she sipped her milkshake.

_An hour later _

"You're weird, Ellie." Johnny chuckled, shaking his head.

"Don't give me that, you know he's hot." Ellie smiled, laughing at her brother.

"You do know what he ends up looking like...right?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Not _then, _but when he was young..." Ellie sighed. "Young Voldemort—_Total _hottie."

Johnny barked a laugh. "Whatever you say, its just weird."

"He was attractive as Tom Riddle," Ellie protested. "That's all I'm saying. I had a _huge _crush on him when this movie came out."

"Hermione is hot when she gets older..." Johnny mused, making Ellie look scandalized.

"EW! Oh God, shut up!" she said, covering her ears.

"What? I can't say who I think is attractive, but you can?"

"Yup." Ellie said, letting her lips pop with the 'p'.

"Besides, the character is evil," Johnny said. "He tried to kill Harry as a baby. Do you like evil men?" Johnny laughed.

Ellie felt L's eyes on her now. She shifted uncomfortably.

"_No_, I don't like evil men...he's just physically appealing. That's _all_."

"Riiggghhtt...So you're saying the bad boy, asshole thing does nothing for you?" Johnny raised his eyebrow.

"NO!" Ellie gasped, flushing deeply as she felt L's eyes still trained on her. God, _why _was he looking at her now? How could this conversation possibly be interesting to him?

"Okay, if you say so," Johnny said, shoving popcorn in his face. "I'm just saying, chicks dig that bad boy stereotype."

"Is that why you don't get girls?" Ellie joked, moving the subject from her.

"HEY!" Johnny exclaimed, laughing. "Girls love me. I'm a cop!"

"Yeah, but you aren't bad," Ellie laughed. "You think you are, but you're not."

"Oh, I'm bad girl..." Johnny said sarcastically, reaching over and snatching her gummy worms.

"No! Give them back!" she exclaimed, reaching for them but he jerked them away.

"No, not until you admit I'm badass..." Johnny smiled.

"You're an idiot," Ellie smirked. "But fine...you're badass...I _guess._"

"That's what I like to hear!" he said, tossing her gummy worms back.

She caught them and rolled her eyes. Her eyes flicked over at L, jumping slightly when she saw he was still looking at her. His hands were on his knees and he was just watching...The darkness of the room and the light from his laptop shining on his face made him looking somewhat hauntingly intense. She swallowed and shifted her eyes back to the movie, trying to ignore his stare.

At some point during the movie, she shifted farther down the couch until she was laying down with her legs stretched out across Johnny's lap. She tried to stay awake, but her mind was in and out between consciousness.

"I'm staying here."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she half heard Johnny talking. Or maybe she was just dreaming?

"I'm not leaving her. I'll sleep on the floor in the kitchen if I have too."

Ellie groaned. "I don't wanna...sleep there." she mumbled out loud.

Her foggy mind heard Johnny chuckle. "No, sweetie, I was talking about me. Don't worry about it, just keep sleeping."

"Oh—I...Mkay." she groaned, rolling over on her stomach and hearing Johnny chuckle again before sleep finally took over her mind.

* * *

Ellie jolted awake with a gasp, looking around the room and sighing before falling back on the couch. She saw L's laptop was open, but he wasn't sitting in front of it. Odd.

Her dream had been terrible...She'd dreamed that the killer had gotten L. Had _killed him – right _in front of her. It had seemed so real that her heart was pumping with adrenaline still. Everything had been so vivid; the look on his face when he...God, she couldn't even think about it. Part of her was still panicked and she began to wonder where L was.

"L?!" she called out over the couch, willing to calm her nerves and telling herself he was simply in the bathroom. She heard a crash from the other room, making her gulp as she shakily stood and walked towards the spare bedroom door.

"L?..." she almost whispered, reaching her hand out and opening the door slowly. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she was going to have heart failure.

She pushed the door open, only to see a horrifying scene, making her scream.

L was laying in the floor on his back – dead. His intelligent eyes open and unseeing, making unimaginable pain shoot straight to her heart.

"NO!" she screamed, falling to his side and picking up his cold wrist to check for a pulse. To her horror, she couldn't feel anything.

"NO! No, no, no, no..." she repeated hysterically as tears ran down her face. She lifted his head, putting it in her lap and clutching him to her. "Y-You can't be d-dead...no, _please _wake up – oh God, NO!"

"NO!" Ellie screamed, shooting up from the couch, panting in fear as her eyes darted around the room. Her eyes fell on L, who was watching her in front of his laptop, a spoon paused in midair. He even looked somewhat startled.

Relief washed through her and her tense shoulders relaxed at seeing him alive in front of her. God, she hated dreams like that; when you actually dream you wake up...but you really don't.

"Am I to assume you had a nightmare?" L asked blandly, sticking his spoon in some yogurt as she attempted to control her ragged breathing.

"Y-Yeah, I..." she started, but couldn't finish. God knows she didn't want to tell him that she had a dream that he..._died. _She was still slightly horrified, but she knew he was safe. After all, he was literally sitting right next to her; and that fact made her comfortable enough to push the horrible dream to the back of her mind.

"I'm fine..." she murmured, falling back on the couch and sighing before rubbing her hands across her face. She looked at the clock on the wall, seeing it was only four in the morning. She snorted.

Rolling over, she faced the back of the couch, shutting her eyes and trying to force sleep again. After what seemed like an eternity, her mind started to finally get foggy. All she could think about was the fact that L should be sleeping too.

"L?" she whispered, calling out to him in her half awake daze.

After a long pause, she heard a monotonous, "Yes?"

"Do you sleep?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"When I feel the need to do so, yes."

"Do you snore?" she asked, yawning and smiling lightly to herself.

After another long pause, he answered her.

"I'm not quite sure. It's been many years since I've slept in the same room with another person to let me know."

"I'll tell you," she mumbled, oddly relieved as she snuggled deeper into her pillow. "You should...sleep. I'll – I'll stay here...Okay?"

He didn't answer her and she yawned again, falling into a slightly more peaceful sleep than before.

**A/N: I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I have ever made...is it? I think so. Anyway, I hope this was worth the wait! I fully intend to update more quickly in the future, but as I said, I just had a lot of things going on and I just wasn't feeling very motivated. Don't worry, motivation is back! I'd love to know what you think!**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**A/N: Update already? YES! I've missed this story! Now, THIS is where the MATURE rating comes in (Sexual references, conversations, etc.) I changed the rating to this for a reason. If you don't want to read such things, you probably shouldn't read this chapter. I just felt the need to let you know!**

**Disclaimer: Own Death Note? HA! I wish...**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve:**

* * *

Ellie's eyes fluttered as her vision focused on the brown suede of the couch she was laying on. She groaned as her head pounded, and she instantly knew that she slept way too long.

She rolled over on her back, sighing as she lay her arm across her eyes to block out the blinding light above her head. It seems L had turned the lights back on when he was sure she was dead asleep.

Rolling over, she tilted her head up, seeing L perched in his chair and watching her impassively.

"Morning," she yawned, shoving her hands under the pillow and wiggling slightly to get comfortable. She didn't want to get up quite yet, not with her head pounding like it was. She smiled as she felt Snowbell at her feet, all curled up and keeping her feet warm.

"It's not morning," L murmured. "Actually, its one in the afternoon-"

Ellie's eyes widened as she sat up too quickly, making her clutch her head and groan.

"I slept _twelve _hours?" she asked, astounded. It was very rare she slept that long, no wonder she had a headache from hell.

"Mmm, actually, you slept thirteen hours and thirty minutes." L clarified, picking up his tea. "I was going to wait thirty more minutes before waking you myself."

"God, I must have been exhausted..." she mused, reaching up to touch her head. She looked to L to see his eyes were flicking over hair, amusement flashing though his blank eyes even though his expression remained stoic.

Ellie flushed and patted her hair, which felt like it was as huge as a bee hive. She groaned in embarrassment, and fell back on her pillow, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Miss Lafleur, do not go back to sleep." L's expressionless voice sounded. "You've slept quite enough-"

"I'm not sleeping," she grumbled from under the blanket. "My head hurts, and I'm hiding from you because you're laughing at me on the inside."

"I do not know what you mean."

_'Liar.' _Ellie thought, scoffing out loud, pushing the blanket down and looking over at him.

"I can shower, right?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Yes, however, I have decided to give you ten minutes," L informed her. "And not one minute more. If you take longer, I will become suspicious and enter the bathroom, regardless of whether you're in a decent state of dress or not."

"Pervert..." Ellie murmured, flushing as she thought about L walking in on her butt ass naked. That wouldn't make her want to jump off the eleventh story window at all...

"Perversion is not the reason I am saying that," L grumbled darkly. "I am being lenient in letting you have as much privacy as I am."

"It's hard to not think you're a pervert when you originally wanted to watch a young girl take a shower," Ellie pointed out, looking down at her nails to avoid looking at him. "It doesn't matter which way you look at it. You're a...twenty-six?" she was sure that was how old he was now. "year old man...either way, it looks pervy."

"That may be so," L mused from beside her. "But I assure you, I am highly capable of detaching all emotions for my work. My reasons would be nothing but purely professional."

"Nothing professional about being a peeping Tom," Ellie grumbled, sitting up and stretching her back. "You said before that my clothes distracted you, so I couldn't _imagine_ how much you would be distracted if the clothes weren't even there..." she laughed, shocking herself at her own boldness. Was she really talking to L about being naked?!

"..."

"I see," L said quietly after a long, agonizing..._embarrassing _silence. "In any case, I am male, and not completely immune to visual stimulation. It is simply human nature. Although, I posses a strong enough mind to be able to separate reactions and only focus on my ultimate goal."

"..."

What a horrible way of putting it. Ellie cringed slightly. God, this was _awkward. _She was so glad she wasn't facing him. She had a pretty good idea of what he meant, and that thought made her cheeks erupt in flames and her stomach spin.

She couldn't bring herself to speak, or turn around to face him. She quickly stood, keeping her back to him.

"Er – I'm going...shower." she mumbled, all but running around the couch and to the bedroom door, seeing L perched in his chair in her peripherals. Snowbell continued snoozing on the couch, not bothering to follow her. Osamu, on the other hand, quietly floated behind her.

"Miss Lafleur," L called out as her hand touched the knob, making her freeze her hand. "Remember, ten minutes."

His voice was neutral, completely unaffected. Where as she'd basically squeaked at him and ran away.

"Er – yeah." she said quickly, darting in the bedroom.

She gasped in shock when she saw Johnny laying stretched across the bed, fully clothed.

She blinked. Huh? He stayed? She racked her mind, and finally remembered she faintly heard him say he was staying.

Smiling at his over protectiveness, she remembered she only had ten minutes...and she'd already wasted two. She quickly pulled out some shorts and a tube top from her bag, along with a few other bathing items. Osamu floated outside the bathroom door, and she knew he'd stay there until she finished. She gave the Shinigami a small smile.

Running into the bathroom, she started the shower, ripped off her clothes, washed as quickly as possible and hopped out to get dressed.

As she was brushing her hair, by her calculations, she had about a minute left. She knew without a doubt L was timing her...Jerk.

Quickly spraying her perfume, she ran out of the bathroom and busted out the bedroom door.

"I did it!" she exclaimed, looking at L, who was standing. Clearly, he was preparing himself to charge into the bathroom.

"Nine minutes and forty seconds is cutting it rather close," he murmured, shuffling back to his chair and hopping up.

"I took longer because I wasn't expecting to see Johnny in there," she sighed, walking towards the couch and separating her curls as she walked with L's eyes watching her every movement.

Osamu grunted and floated off into the kitchen, obviously not interested in hearing her and L's conversations.

"Is that so? I was under the impression you heard our conversation last night."

"Well," she scrunched her nose as she hit a knot. "I didn't remember at first, but I vaguely remember him saying he was staying...and that's about it."

"Yes, well, I agreed that he could stay every couple of nights," L said, plopping sugar cubes in his tea. "But not every night, I do not want it to interfere with our interactions. He was arguing with me half the night, but in the end, he agreed to my terms."

Her heart fluttered. Oh, so he wanted her alone, huh? She internally smiled, but she knew that that wasn't what he meant at all. It would be easier to observe her and question her if it was simply one on one, and she knew that.

She sighed. "He's over protective. Always has been."

"He cares for you deeply," L said, stirring his tea and keeping his eyes down.

Ellie raised her eyebrows. "Yes, I know he does...as I do him."

"People like you." he observed, bringing his eyes to her. Was he complementing her? Or did he have an alternate motive? Her gaze became somewhat suspicious as she looked at him.

"I suppose..." she said, raising her eyebrow. "And people don't like you?"

"No, people don't like me in particular," he said, bringing his tea to his lips. "People respect me, fear me even...but as far as liking me in general, I'm often seen as arrogant. However, a lot of jealously sparks this opinion of me, because I am the greatest detective in the world."

_'Modest, isn't he?' _Ellie snorted to herself.

"Well, maybe you should try being nicer," Ellie suggested, crossing her arms. "And stop lying as much. That would be a start."

"I'm a monster, Miss Lafleur," L suddenly said coldly, making her stare in surprise. "I'm a lying monster. I pose as a human, even though I have no understanding of the human heart. I eat, even though I have never experienced true hunger...I study, even though I have no true interest in academics. I have sought friendship in the past, even though I do not know how to love."

Ellie's mouth fell open at his personal declaration.

"It is better not to try to force something that is not possible," he continued, looking up at her. "I find human beings too rotten, and too manipulative to trust. It is impossible for me to have a true friend because of that. Please keep this in mind as we are spending much time together."

"You can trust me..." she whispered, her heart thumping as he brought his obsidian eyes to look at her.

"Miss Lafleur, you do understand that I suspect you of being a mass murderer, correct?" he asked, tonelessly.

"I know," she said quietly. "But I know I'm not guilty, and soon, you will too. Have I ever truly gave you a reason not to trust me? God knows you've gave me a million not to trust you...but I _do _trust you to an extent. I don't truly believe you're as bad as you think you are-"

"You believe you know me better than I know myself?" he asked, his mouth set in a straight line.

"No," she answered. "But I think I'm able to see things in you that you yourself can't see...because its something you can't recognize."

"And what would that be?" he asked, putting his thumb to his mouth.

She stared at him, opening her mouth and closing it a few times. She wasn't even sure how to explain it...were there any words, even? It wasn't kindness, that's for sure...but it was something similar. There was...potential. Yes, potential to be something more than a robot that simply solved cases, not really living a life.

"There's just—potential in you." she said, not really knowing how else to explain it.

"Potential for what?" he asked sharply, looking at her oddly.

She gave him a small smile. "Potential to be a good man. Not just a good detective...but a good man. It's there, I can see it." she said quietly.

She held her breath as he stared at her intently, as though he was trying to determine whether or not she was lying.

"I wouldn't like you if I thought you were completely rotten," she said. "And I do...like you. I-I don't even know why; but I do."

He stared at her, not speaking. She couldn't take it anymore and she looked down at her lap, cursing to herself and she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Maybe she shouldn't have said that, but at the same time...maybe he needed to hear that someone _did_ like him and care about him. Someone that somewhat knew him, and had been around him.

"I know you don't like me..." she said, staring at her lap dejectedly. "But, maybe one day you'll see that I'm not a bad person and maybe you'll come to see me as a friend."

"I do not believe you are a bad person, even now." L murmured after a long pause.

"You don't?" she chuckled, keeping her eyes on her lap. "I was under the impression that you believing me to be a mass murderer would deserve the title of a rotten person."

"Mmm, yes, you are correct," he mused, making her look up at him. "However, as a person, I do not believe you to be generally bad. I've had much experience with bad people, there are always recognizable signs – none of which you possess. I can honestly say that it is a rare occurrence."

She smiled at him, in spite of herself. A part of her was suspicious that he was being subtly flattering...telling her things he knew she would want to hear, but at the same time, he wasn't being obvious so that she'd know what he was up to. Using her feelings as a means to get what he wanted...It made sense, after all it could cause her to be more open with him. The logical part of her brain was telling her that's exactly what was happening, but she was too happy that he was talking to her to give it as much merit as it deserved. Besides, she had nothing to hide anyway. She could enjoy this, regardless of his reasons.

"Now, now," Ellie smiled, smirking at him. "You wouldn't be trying to be manipulating to...oh, I don't know – get close to me and find out what you want?"

Shock and irritation flashed through his eyes momentarily. She would have missed it completely if she hadn't been around him long enough to catch these tiny things. Anyone else would have missed it completely, she was sure.

"No, that is not my goal," he said in a convincing voice, almost _too_ convincing to her. "I meant what I said."

Ellie looked at him sceptically. "Alright, well...we'll see then."

"Come over here." he ordered, not looking at her and typing on his laptop.

Ellie looked at him, her mouth falling open in shock. What?

"I want to show you something on the laptop." he clarified, pointing a thin finger at his computer and making her jaw snap shut.

"O-Oh...right." she awkwardly stood, walking over to him and standing awkwardly next to his chair.

"Look at these pictures," he voice muffled from his thumb. "It seems like the killer is able to manipulate the criminals actions before they die – to some extent, at least."

Ellie sharply looked at Osamu, who was now hovering behind the couch...he had been awfully quiet lately. He had just silently followed her around.

"Don't look at me, I didn't know that," Osamu croaked. "Shinigami don't use the Death Note that way."

"See?" L said, ignoring Osamu, making him grunt. Ellie turned her eyes back to the screen.

"They're puzzles," L clarified, looking at the jumbled words with a raised eyebrows. "Extremely difficult puzzles. No one at the LAPD was able to decode them, but I solved all of them in a single night while you were sleeping-"

"Braggart." Ellie scoffed.

"In any case, do you see the message?" he asked, hitting another button, making a list of jumbled words appear.

"Uh..." she said, feeling stupid as she looked at the mess.

"Try looking at it another way," he said quietly, and she got down on her knees, leaning forward to look at the screen. Nothing was really standing out at her, and she tilted her head to the side, instantly seeing what L had meant.

"L..." she said out loud, frowning as she looked for the next words.

"Everyone knows that time is Death, that Death hides in clocks. Imposing another time powered by the Clock of the Imagination, however, can refuse his law. Here, freed of the Grim Reaper's scythe, we learn that pain is knowledge and all knowledge pain."

"Federico Fellini..." Ellie trailed off, making L looked at her with slight surprise.

"Yes, that is correct." L murmured.

"Oh my God..." Ellie breathed, looking up at L with a smile on her face. "Now you can know for sure that they have a Death Note! Grim Reapers...Death Gods. Literally, that's splitting hairs. Its so obvious!"

"He's mocking me." L said darkly, not returning her smile and gripping his knees tightly.

"Maybe, but they don't know that you already know of the existence of Death Notes," Ellie said. "They think they're confusing you, but in reality you already know way more than they could even begin to understand."

L's eyes looked down at her, and she struggled to keep a smile on her face. However, she noticed that the tension left his hands, and he observation seemed to...make him feel better.

"Yes..." he said in a quiet voice, looking away from her. "I believe you are correct."

"Clocks...is he saying that's only a matter of time before-"

"Before he cleanses the world," L finished, looking up at her as she stood. "He is mocking me, as if to say, 'What are you going to do about it?'. He's saying the deaths are unavoidable, and he will get rid of all those that pose a threat to society...and that its only a matter of time, because he _is _the law."

"Wow..." Ellie trailed off, biting her lip.

"It is also a threat, directed towards me." L mused, looking at the ceiling and seeming unaffected. "Knowledge is pain...He's saying if I gain the knowledge of his identity, all that will follow is pain. That it is better that the world does not know his identity. This message isn't meant to be looked at in its entirety...its meant to be read broken down into parts – and he knew I would be able to understand that."

"He, he, he..." Ellie trailed off, finally noticing this. "If you suspect me, why do you keep saying _he_?"

L looked over at her again. "Very observant," he commented. "If you, indeed, are not the killer...there is a ninety-five percent chance that the killer is male."

"Why do you say that?" Ellie asked, tilting her head.

"Well, he is very smart and-"

"And women _aren't_?!" Ellie exclaimed, cutting him off, insulted. "What are you, a male chauvinist?"

He didn't answer, simply biting his thumb nail and looking at her blankly. Her jaw dropped in disbelief.

"You _asshole_!" she screeched. "Men are _not _better than women!"

"I would be lying if I said my line of thinking didn't slightly lean that way—I must admit," L said carefully. "After all, you asked me not too long ago to be more honest, and I am. So, do not get angry when you hear the truth."

"Oh, you are _so_ full of shit-"

"However," he interrupted, cutting her off. "you are not included in that particular line of thinking—obviously." L said, in an obvious attempt to calm her.

"You're a prick." Ellie snapped.

"Are you quite done with your childish name calling?" L asked, irritation sweeping through his dark orbs.

"I don't know," she snapped, still insulted, even if he didn't think of her that way. "Are you done being a chauvinistic pig?"

L looked away from her, giving another exasperated sigh. "I understand you're insulted, but if you don't mind, I'd like to discuss this case; not the equality of sexes."

Ellie huffed. "Fine, have it your way."

She walked over to the couch, plopping down ungracefully.

She heard the bedroom door open, and she turned to see Johnny hobble out with his suit wrinkled and his hair sticking straight up.

"Gah, Ellie what are you yelling about in here?" Johnny asking, yawning and giving L a suspicious stare.

"Nothing," Ellie sighed. "Just a disagreement in the case."

"Oh..." Johnny said, letting it drop but she could see he was still suspicious.

"I hate to run, but I have to go change and get to the office." Johnny yawned, walking behind the couch and avoiding Osamu with a nervous stare.

"I'll come back tomorrow..." Johnny said, glaring at L. "But I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay!" Ellie smiled, tilting her head back and looking at Johnny.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you, call me if you need me..." he said warily, glancing at L who remained stoic.

"Will do." she said, smiling up at him. He smiled warmly at her, gave L a warning glance and left the room.

Ellie sighed. "So, what do you plan to do? Are you going to try to lure him out again?"

"Mmm, perhaps," L said, chewing his thumbnail. "There have already been one hundred deaths and counting since I last confronted him...Do you recall me asking the detectives to put together a time table of the times of deaths?"

"Uh, yeah, I remember," she said. "Is it important?"

"Very," he responded. "Come look at this."

Sighing, Ellie stood once again and walked over to his chair, standing awkwardly next to him.

"Look at the graph," L said, pointing a spidery finger at the screen. "Do you notice any pattern?"

Ellie studied it for only moments. The pattern was obvious.

"Yes, they mostly all take place between four and eleven pm on weekdays...with weekends being an exception." she mused. "They seemed to be sporadic across the day on weekends."

"Yes, and that has led me to conclude that they are-"

"A student!" Ellie exclaimed, it hitting her.

"Yes, I believe they are. Actually, a ninety percent chance." L bit his thumb. "An eighty-five percent chance thathe is a student at UCLA..."

_'There he goes saying, 'he' again.' _Ellie frowned, but decided to ignore him.

"UCLA has over fifty thousand students," Ellie said, slightly let down. "How the hell could you find him out of that many people?"

"By process of elimination," L stated, as though it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Even so, I've used the strictest terms based on what I know about his personality – I was left with hundreds of possible suspects."

He typed oddly on the computer, pulling up a folder.

"If you are not the killer; I am of ninety-five percent certainty that the killer is one of the profiles in this folder..."

"Maybe you could hire some investigators to follow each students around for a period of time?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have considered that..." L mused. "But, my list must be much smaller. I cannot possibly allow that many agents to follow that many people – it is not practical, nor doable."

"Oh, right..." Ellie said dejectedly.

"I have considered enrolling myself in the college, so I can observe the students around me." L said thoughtfully, surprising Ellie. "But even so, the killer could be a freshman, all the way to a senior...it would be unpractical until I've got a smaller list."

Ellie walked away from him, pacing...A UCLA student? The killer was someone that young? But then again, age meant nothing. After all, look at L. Maybe L was thinking on too big of a scale. What...what if it _wasn't _a college student...what if it was, dare she think it, a _high _school student? The hours the killings were taking place were on the weekends...and after four on weekdays. College classes could work that way, especially if the student was full time. But still, now that she was thinking about it, all the signs pointed more towards a _high_ school student than _college_. Surely, L had thought of that too? She glanced at him to see him watching her intently.

"Erm – what if its a high school student?" she mused out loud, somewhat uncertain. After all, maybe he knew something she didn't...she didn't want to seem like an idiot.

Approval fleetingly crossed his features.

"Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking."

"_What?" _she asked, flabbergasted. "What was all the crap with the college stuff then?!"

"I was testing you; I apologize." he admitted, seemingly without remorse.

"Testing me?" she asked, indecorously. "Why?"

"I simply wanted to see if you came to the same conclusion as me," he murmured. "Which you did, now I am even more confident in my conclusion."

_'Liar.' _

"Okay..." Ellie sighed, letting it drop instead of trying to understand the inner workings of his mind – she'd probably go insane trying. "Well, there are so many high schools in LA...public, private...my God, the university would have been easier!"

"Yes, so you can see the magnitude of the problem then?" L asked in a dead pan voice. "I have sorted through only honor students – and further eliminated possible suspects from the qualities the killer seems to have. I simply still have too many. As much as I regret to say, I need to wait for him to make another move. All I need is one decisive factor – one key piece of evidence to narrow down my search to merely a couple..."

"Just wait?"

"Of course, I will continue research," L answered, pulling out his phone and started doing what looked like texting with only his pointer finger. "In the mean time, I need to simply wait and focus half of my attention to you. After all, you're still a suspect." he finished, snapping his phone shut and placing it back in his pocket.

"Why do you have a flip phone still?" Ellie asked as she watched him pocket the small grey phone. "Those things are...out."

"I always carry a phone on my persons. I prefer it to be small and easy to carry in my pocket. I have no need for a smart phone. Most are far too large and I do not like touch screens. I do my own thinking, so I deem them quite unnecessary and useless for my needs." he finished, sipping his tea.

"You sound like a grandpa." Ellie laughed, chuckling at him as he glowered at her.

Ellie jumped as she saw Watari come into view, pushing a cart. The aroma of food caught her nostrils and her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn't ate all day.

"It doesn't smell sweet," Ellie said as Watari pushed the cart to her, smiling. "Am I to assume that's for me?" she smiled warmly at the old man.

Watari chuckled. "Yes, Master L requested I bring you shrimp scampi, a roll, and actually there is a slice of strawberry cake in here for desert..."

Ellie looked over at L, smiling sweetly in thanks as he looked at her impassively.

"How sweet," she said, smiling as Watari lifted the top to reveal delicious looking pasta. "of both of you." she finished, picking up a fork and pointedly looking at L for moments.

"You're very welcome," Watari said kindly, bowing before leaving the room as she dug into her pasta.

She groaned after the first bite. This was _ten _times better than Red Lobster's shrimp scampi.

"This is _so _good!" she said, forking another bite and shoveling it in. With the way L ate, there was no way he could judge her. Well, she supposed he _could_...just had no right to.

She looked over, and of course, he was watching her eat. It was somewhat unnerving, but she looked away and kept eating, trying to ignore him.

After a while, she slammed her fork down.

"_What_?!" she said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why are you watching me eat like that?"

He just continued staring and she groaned, rolling her eyes at him.

"You're insufferable." she murmured.

"Your top is sliding down." he said after a moments pause, causing her to choke on pasta as she looked down.

Sure enough, her tube top had slid down quite a bit, displaying an amount of cleavage that she wasn't comfortable with showing. She supposed it slid down while she was leaning over the food, and she simply hadn't noticed.

At lightning speed, she dropped the fork with a loud clatter and jerked her top up quickly, blushing a deep red. She shakily picked up her fork, not looking at him as she forced herself to eat some more.

God, how _embarrassing._ It was one of those moments she wished the world would swallow her whole. Even so...had he been checking her out? After all, she felt him staring at her for the past fifteen minutes, and he just now said something?

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" she asked in spite of herself, keeping her eyes trained on the pasta.

"I didn't want to embarrass you," L responded instantly. "But, every time you leaned forward, it continued to slide down. I figured it would be prudent to inform you."

Her stomach did a flip. "Why were you looking so intently anyway?"

She was literally starting to think this genius detective _was _a pervert. She had been joking before, but this was a little much.

"I wasn't intently watching," he said after moments pause. "It was simply occurring in front of my eyes."

"You didn't have to look," Ellie pointed out, her heart fluttering. Sure, having L check out her cleavage wasn't exactly the romantic thing she had envisioned...but still, it took all her willpower not to smirk. "You could have stared at the wall...or my cake."

"I suppose you're right," L mused, making Ellie choke again. "In any case, the problem has been resolved."

She stared at him. "Nothing bothers you, does it?"

"Mmm, I'm not as easily affected as other people," he answered. "But quite a lot of things do not bother me."

"Like openly staring at a girls cleavage for fifteen minutes?" Ellie said, chuckling and shaking her head, trying to lighten the awkward tension. "You need to find yourself a girl, L."

_'Preferably me...' _a small voice said in the back of her mind.

"And how would that help me?" he asked in a quieter voice, as though he was worried Watari would hear him or something.

"Maybe it would help with your stress," she shrugged, keeping her eyes on her food. "Perhaps you wouldn't so uptight all the time and you'd loosen up."

"Are you implying that I should have sexual intercourse to relieve stress?"

Ellie choked again at his vulgar observation. "You've gotta stop doing that before I choke to death."

"Well, is that what you were implying?"

"Not necessarily," she said, blushing as she shifted. "But its supposed to be a huge stress reliever, isn't it?"

There was a long pause, and she held her breath as her heart pumped erratically. She really wasn't hungry anymore, but she somehow forced another fork full of food in her mouth, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

"I have read," he answered quietly. "But, I wouldn't personally know."

_'He's a virgin! I knew it!' _her mind yelled, and she felt happiness well inside of her. She liked knowing no woman had ever touched him...as much of a distance as he kept between them; the jealously would have gotten under her skin.

"O-Oh...I see..." she stuttered, clearing her throat.

"_Does_ it relieve stress?" he asked in the same quiet voice, and for a moment, she stopped breathing. Somehow his voice seemed darker...huskier, if it was possible – or was her currently over active mind imagining it?

"Uh..._what_?" she asked stupidly, gulping and still refusing to look at him. Her blood was rushing so fast, she wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it across the room.

"You heard me." he said in the same voice, making her breathing slightly quicken...did he seriously just...inadvertently ask her if she was a _virgin_?

"I-I don't..." her words faltered for a moment. "Know..."

"I see..." he said in the same quiet voice. She suddenly felt like she was breathing loudly, and she willed it to calm, even as her heart pounded relentlessly.

The tension in the air was so thick, you could cut it with a knife if you tried. She felt as though she was going to starting choking again, just from breathing the air in the room.

Trying to make herself look at him, she turned her head slightly, gulping and looking at him through her lashes. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him. He was leaning slightly forwards in the chair towards her, his wide eyes slightly hooded, giving her an intense expression. Of course, he had given her intense expressions before; she was use to it. But he'd never...looked at her like _that. _She tried to think, to think what this look could possibly mean, but she just couldn't. All she could do was stare back with wide eyes, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

Her eyes fell down to his hands, to see they were clutching his knees tightly, his tendons flexing against the pale skin. His posture seemed more rigid than usual...could it be possible that he was feeling the same thing she was? Was his heart racing? Was his mind mostly shut off like hers?

"I..." she started, but words failed her. She didn't even know what she wanted to say, or what she should say. Or if she should even speak at all, maybe she should just get up, walk over to him and...

"Yes?" he said in the same quiet voice, and her vision clouded when she heard the subtle husky quality to it.

L's cell phone starting ringing, seeming to snap him out of his trance and making Ellie jump in surprise. He instantly answered his phone, going back to his usual expressionless tone.

Heart still pounding, she looked away quickly. What the _hell_ had just happened?

"Yes, I see...please, take care of it." she heard his phone snap close. She suddenly had a huge urge to go take a cold shower, but that would be suspicious. There was a pool here...surely, that would seem harmless, right?

"I'm bored." she blurted, hating herself for her unsubtle set up. "Can Watari take me down to the pool or something?"

"I told you, you can't leave my sight." he said in his usual bland voice. "Besides, Watari is otherwise preoccupied."

"...can _you _take me then?" she asked, risking a glance at him.

He looked like he was thinking it over, and he finally sighed.

"I suppose, but no longer than an hour. I have things to attend to." he said. "Hurry and put your suit on. You have three minutes."

_'Oh damn...' _Ellie thought as she stood and nodded quickly. For some reason, she'd forgotten about wearing a bathing suit...like _that _would help this awkward situation. What was she supposed to do now? Say she changed her mind right after he said that? No, that would be ridiculous.

She quickly hurried through the door, opening a suitcase and digging through it. Thankfully, Watari had packed her ruffled blue bikini and her bright pink tankini. Which one though? The bikini showed more skin stomach wise...but the tankini showed more skin...cleavage wise. She decided she'd feel more comfortable showing the former.

She bit her lip, and against her better judgment, she quickly threw her clothes off and slipped her blue bikini on. She hadn't worn it in a year, but luckily, it still fit normally. She rushed in the bathroom, feeling self conscious as she grabbed a bath towel, wrapping it around her and effectively hiding herself from view.

Right as she exited the bathroom, she saw L open the bedroom door, making her jump in surprise, but clutched her towel for dear life. She started sorely regretting picking the bikini; but she shook that off as she thought of how the tankini pushed her chest up.

His eyes flicked over her blankly. "Your time is up. Let's go and get this over with."

"Y-You aren't going to swim?" she asked, the thought of a shirtless L making her smile.

"No, I'm afraid not." He said blandly, turning and shuffling out the door. She saw he already had his beaten up sneakers on. Shaking her head, she slipped flip flops on and followed him out of the hotel room – Osamu following quietly behind her.

"What's the matter?" she asked as they entered the elevator. "Can't you swim?"

He didn't look at her as he answered. "Of course I can swim, Miss Lafleur."

"You probably don't even have swimming trunks." she snorted, exiting the elevator behind him and walking down the hallway.

"I do."

Ellie paused in front of the pool door. "You do?"

"Yes, please go inside so we can go back." he answered, looking off to the side with a bored expression.

"Huh...weird." she shrugged, opening the door to see the pool was empty. It seemed yet again, everyone was using the outside pool. She, however, preferred indoor pools. She burned easily, and didn't like the hot sun beating down on her. Besides, she preferred the cool water.

The pool was fairly large, going from three feet, all the way to eight feet. At the end, there was a fairly large hot tub, and she decided she'd check that out before leaving. An image of her and L sitting in it fleeted across her mind, and she blushed as L hopped in a pool chair, watching her with another bored expression.

She started to remove her towel, but he was staring at her...and she paused and shifted uncomfortably.

"I thought you were going to swim?" L asked in an impatient tone, looking at her hesitation stoically.

"Could you look away for a moment?" she asked, her cheeks flushing.

His face darkened, and his eyes narrowed for moments before flicking off to the side.

She sighed and dropped her towel, looking down and stepping out of her flip flops.

"You have a navel piercing..."

Ellie jerked her head up, seeing L staring at her belly button piercing. Irritation flushed through her. That asshole! He lied!

"I _told _you not to look!" Ellie hissed, crossing her arms over her chest in what she hoped appearing to be an angry nature, not covering herself.

L simply shrugged. "When did you get that done?"

"Last year on my friends birthday; why?" she asked, groaning.

"Simply wondering," he said his eyes trailing back to her angry, flushed face. "Well, are you going to swim or not?"

Ellie sighed, a little uncomfortable at turning her back on him. But she did so anyway, quickly hurrying over to the pool and jumping in the deep end.

Just as she expected, the water was very cool and it felt nice on her warm skin – especially her face. She swam under for moments, then broke the surface, running her hands up her face and over her hair to move it out of her face.

She rubbed her eyes and looked over at L. Of course, he was watching her with an expressionless stare. She rolled her eyes and leaned back, kicking her feet and floating across the water. Her mind began to wander towards what had just happened in the hotel room. It was...odd, to say the least – and she wasn't quite sure what to think about it. A part of her told her she was being naïve, and that she knew exactly what was happening. She felt goosebumps on her skin at what could have possibly happened if his cell phone hadn't interrupted...probably nothing, though. What was he going to do? Get up from his chair and _kiss_ her?

She snorted out loud, knowing that was highly unlikely. But even so, she knew she couldn't possibly be the only one that felt the...sexual tension? What that even what was happening? She was almost positive it was, but knowing what she did about L...it made it seem much more likely that she was the only one feeling anything, and in her state, had misread his reactions.

That led her to think...if L actually _did _try to kiss her; would she even stop him? It only took her moments to come up with an answer.

No. She wouldn't stop him. She knew she wouldn't; the thought wouldn't even cross her mind. Not that it would ever happen.

She sighed and went under the water, swimming towards the shallow end of the pool before emerging again and standing up in the waist high water. She moved her hair out of her face and pulled it behind her shoulders. When it was wet, it fell almost to her waist. She had been meaning to get it cut, but for some reason she just panicked at the mere thought of it.

Looking over at L, who was still watching her, she walked over to the ladder and climbed out of the pool.

"Are you ready to leave?" he asked in a monotone voice as she approached him.

"Nope," she said sarcastically. "I'm getting in the hot tub now." She looked over at the chairs around it and turned back to him.

"You can come too." she said, shrugging.

He stared at her.

"The _chairs _over there," she clarified, rolling her eyes. "Not in the hot tub with me."

He said nothing, but hopped out of his chair and followed her to the hot tub. It made her uncomfortable, and she sorely wished he hadn't picked this time to walk behind her. Figures.

As L hopped up in another chair, she stuck her foot in, pulling it out quickly with an, "OW!"

"It seems much hotter because you were just in the pool." L said, making her attention snap to him.

"Yes, thank you _genius_, I know." she scoffed, wincing as she stepped in anyway and slowly walked in the water.

Finally feeling comfortable with the temperature, she sat on one of the seats and leaned back, sighing.

She opened her eyes, looking at L. "You have swimming trunks but you don't use them?"

"Why would I have them if I never used them?" L asked impassively.

"...Or do you have a speedo?" she asked, raising her eyebrow and laughing at the startled look in his eyes.

"No, I do not own one of those," L said, biting his thumb. "Even so, I believe a speedo has more cloth than your bathing suit."

_So_, he took a stab back at her then?

"That's not true," Ellie scoffed. "And you know it. This is a normal bikini. You've clearly never been to a California beach. I'm practically wearing an old lady swimsuit."

"True, I have seen bikinis with less cloth." L mused, running his thumb across his lip and making Ellie glare at him. What has he been _looking_ at?

"...You're a perv, aren't you?" she asked, scrunching her nose at him.

"No, I have complete self control." he said blandly, his eyes narrowing.

Ellie laughed. "Didn't seem like it from that little moment we had in the hotel room."

She instantly cringed. Why didn't she just cut off her foot and sew it into her mouth? She might as well.

He was quiet for moments. "Nothing happened."

"No, nothing did," she agreed, not looking at them. "But there was so much tension in the air, I thought I was gonna start choking again."

Since when could she talk somewhat openly with him?

"Sexual tension?" he asked after a moments pause. "I thought that's what it was, but I wasn't quite sure. After all, I was having trouble reading you. You were either liking it, or you were highly uncomfortable – Possibly even both."

Ellie flushed and refused to look at him. So, he had felt the tension too? Did that mean he was...attracted to her? Her stomach turned and her heart fluttered. But even so...he was _just _attracted to her? Yet, he wasn't her friend, nor did he reincorporate any romantic feelings? That hurt slightly...but even so, she hadn't even expected that. In a way, she had thought of him as asexual at first. Clearly, she was wrong. Lust and love were completely different things. You didn't have to know how to love to give into lust. It was a normal human reaction, such as breathing.

She was starting to feel the uncomfortable feeling that she had felt not too long ago, and she wanted to groan.

"It will not happen again." L said firmly after a while, causing her to look at him. She saw determination sweep through his eyes.

"It's not something you can just shut off..." she said quietly, looking away from him. If you were attracted to somebody, you were attracted to them. You can't change that just by deciding you don't want to be...if anyone knew that, she did.

"Wrong," he answered immediately. "You may not be able to control your lust, but I can."

"..."

"So you're lusting after me?" she asked, looking across the pool and smirking slightly as her heart fluttered. "Trust me, you'd know it if I couldn't control it." she added, thinking about earlier when she was tempted to just get up and kiss him.

L was quiet for moments. "I'm disinclined to answer that question."

"...I'll take that as a yes then." she sniggered, but on the inside, she was panicking.

"I told you two years ago that I would not entertain romantic notions," he responded instantly, without missing a beat. "Nothing has changed since then."

"Ha," Ellie scoffed. "Since when does lust and romance always go hand in hand? Yes, love and lust can be intertwined...but in reality, they're completely separate things. You can feel a strong pull towards someone, yet not have any feelings for them." she finished, somewhat sadly.

Her mind was blown. Never in a million years did she think she'd be having conversations like this with L...or anyone really, for that matter.

"Yes, that is correct," L mused. "But, what you're forgetting is that it is not always mutual. Usually, one person will get feelings of attachment after sexual intercourse, and those feelings are not always returned. It's human nature to develop feelings of attachment after intercourse; especially females."

Ellie snorted. "You clearly never met Jessica." it was literally the other way around.

"In any case," L ignored her. "To give an example: if you and I were to engage in sexual activities, considering your attachment, that would only cause you to become even more invested in me – especially considering that you're a virgin."

Ellie tensed at his vulgar observation...but, she knew he was right. Even though she did desire him, if they ever..._did _anything; she was sure that her feelings toward him would only grow. For him, it would merely be physical gratification...but for her, it would be more personal.

Her heart sank. Quite a lot.

"Be thankful I'm not a slut that would try to seduce you," she laughed, trying to ease the tension and make herself feel better. "You'd so go down."

"That is not possible."

She whipped her head to look at him. "What?"

"You could not seduce me," L clarified, his pointer finger in his mouth. "I have complete self-control."

Ellie gaped at him. That was awfully _rude. _She felt somewhat offended.

"You're attracted to me and I haven't even _tried _anything!" she pointed out. "How well do you think you'd fare if I actually _tried_?"

"Just the same." L said, making her go red slightly with irritation.

"You're the one being naïve, now." she said, crossing her arms.

"Go ahead," L said blandly, looking at her impassively. "Try to seduce me. Absolutely nothing will happen—I assure you."

Ellie's mouth dropped as he stared at her blankly. Was he _challenging _her? She was _not _doing that! Even so, she hated to admit it, but she really didn't know _how. _Not that she'd ever admit that to him.

"What do you mean, 'try to seduce you'?" she asked, flabbergasted. Either he was really wanting to prove her wrong, or he was a huge perv...probably the former.

"Yes, that is what I said." he said, remaining stoic and letting his hand fall to his knees.

"_Oh_, should I just take my top off then?" she asked sarcastically.

His eyes bugged slightly. Apparently, he hadn't expected her to say that but he rallied at once.

"I would not recommend that," he said, his mouth twitching. "Considering someone other than me might see. I'd rather you not be arrested for public nudity."

"Whatever, you could get me off." Ellie snorted, before realizing in horror how her words sounded. She shrunk down in the water and had the urge to slap herself in the face.

"..."

"Uh—damn...y-you know what I mean!" she blubbered, burying her face in her hands.

He was silent for moments. "In any case, I'm afraid you cannot seduce me."

"I could if I wanted to!" she snapped, glaring at him. "I just don't want to!"

L looked at her like he didn't believe her for a moment. She was getting angrier the more time that passed. Oh, he wanted seduction did he?

"You know I'm right," he said, gripping his knees. "You don't know me better than I know myself. This is pointless."

"Fine, I'll seduce you!" she said, getting up and marching out of the hot tub and walking straight towards him.

The look on his face? Priceless. It looked as if his eyeballs were going to pop out of his head and she swore she saw him gape for a moment.

Smirking to herself, she walked right past him and to the towel rack, picking one up and wrapping it around her as he turned to look at her.

"What, did you think I was going to do it right now?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Calm down, it'll happen eventually. You just don't know when."

She smiled to herself, happily walking away from him. Of course, she had no intention of actually 'seducing' him...but hey, _he _didn't know that. Besides, she knew it would drive him crazy. Just sitting around, wondering if she was going to burst in the room naked or something...as awkward as he was, she knew for a fact that would make him very tense and on edge. Nope, he wasn't winning this round.

She had to admit, though, knowing that he did find her attractive gave her a small confidence boost.

She reached the door, turning to see him still perched on his chair...glaring at her. She decided to goad him some more.

"Aw, whats wrong?" she taunted. "Don't be disappointed! You just have to be patient!"

His glare darkened as he sharply stood and starting shuffling towards her with his hands in his pockets.

She didn't really like the look on his face, but she swallowed and stood her ground. When he came up to her, she turned and reached for the handle, pulling the door open, only to have his hand slam it shut, startling her with a squeak.

"What are you _doing_?" she said, turning around and pressing herself against the door. Her voice shook slightly as he came closer to her, making her eyes widen...in fear. She knew that look in his eyes. He was angry.

"I know what you're doing," he whispered in a lethally calm voice. "It will not work. Do not play a game with me, Ellora Lafleur—you _will _lose."

She swallowed, trying to keep her nerves and voice steady.

"Really?" she said quietly. "Seems to me that you're afraid you _will _lose, therefore you don't want the challenge to begin with...because you hate losing."

"What if the roles were swapped," he said quietly, inching awkwardly towards her. "How well do you think you'd fare if I tried...seducing you?"

_'I wouldn't fare at all.' _Ellie thought, her head somewhat fuzzy at their closeness.

"Seduce me?" she nervously laughed. "_You_ couldn't seduce a randy cat."

His eyes narrowed. "Is that a challenge?" he asked quietly, making her pulse race.

_'Yes...'_ she thought to herself.

"...No?" she said, though her voice held no conviction and she knew it. What the _hell_ was she getting herself into?

"I believe it is," L said quietly, tilting his head down and glowering at her. "Very well, I accept your challenge, Miss Lafleur. Do not say I didn't warn you. You are exceedingly stubborn; but remember, you chose this." he trailed off quietly, before reaching around her and pulling at the door causing it to push her away.

Ellie's heart was jumping violently. Wait, what did all of this mean? She couldn't wrap her head around it as she followed him out into the hallway. He was going to try to seduce..._her_? For what reason? To prove a _point_? That was a crappy reason to do something like that. He was literally insane if he hating losing that bad. Not to mention, a complete child.

She avoided his gaze as they stepped in the elevator. Even so, how good could he possibly be at something like that? On one hand, he had zero experience with girls...not to mention he was awkward, rude, and just generally uncomfortable being close to other people. On the other hand...he _was _a genius.

She didn't know what to think as she followed him out of the elevator and down the hallway.

She didn't want him to hit on her because of some bet...she wanted him to do it because he _wanted _to. Ashamed as she was to admit it, but a small part of her _didn't. Even. Care. _As long as he did it. Was she really that _pathetic_? No, she wasn't.

As they entered the room, she had half the mind to tell him to forget it...but she just couldn't bring herself to do it for a couple of reasons. One: he would win. Two: she was just plain _curious _as to how he was going to pull this off; and Three: Well...she kind of _wanted _him to, reasons be damned. Maybe in the process he would grow fond of her? Well, that was certainly a possibility. The small bit of hope that she was retaining from this was the biggest thing holding her back from saying anything. But, whatever he tried...she couldn't be putty in his hands. She didn't _care _how much she liked him, she'd be dammed if she'd allow herself to be made a fool of, just so he could prove a point. It was too much for her as a woman...hell, as a human being in general. She had an eerie feeling he thought this was going to be way easier than it actually would be.

She walked in the main room, seeing L hop up in his chair once again. Letting out a sigh of relief, she followed and sat down on the couch, not really in the mood to take a shower quite yet. That, and she didn't entirely trust him not to burst in on her attempting to be, 'seductive'. The thought was _horrifying_.

She looked over at him, meeting his stare. She was trying to narrow her eyes at him, but she was sure she was failing miserably – knowing her nervousness was showing clearly.

Clutching her towel tighter to her, she watched him leap from his chair and walk into her 'room'.

_'What is he doing?' _she thought to herself. She didn't have to wait long, though. He emerged moments later carrying a large, fluffy, dry towel.

He walked over to her with it, causing her to raise her eyebrows at him.

"Here," he said, holding it out. "That towel is soaked, you must be cold."

_'So he's gonna play it by being all gentlemanly is he?' _Ellie felt anger well in her veins. He was such a _liar_. Perhaps this would be easier than she thought.

Not breaking eye contact, she stood, letting her towel drop to the floor and causing his eyes to widen slightly at her stern expression. She snatched the towel from him, quickly wrapping it around her frame.

"Thanks." she said sarcastically, turning and walking towards the kitchen. Even though it was almost dark...she wanted a Red Bull. It didn't matter, as late as she had slept, she'd be up half the night anyway. It had officially taken L _one _night to mess up her sleeping too. He was a bad influence.

"Are you hungry?" L's voice came from behind her, making her jump as she stuck her hand in the fridge, pulling out a Red Bull.

She turned around, looking at him and opening the can.

"Okay, you can just stop with this fake-as-hell gentlemanly bullshit," she snapped. "To be honest, its pissing me off."

L didn't react at all, but merely looked at her.

"I'm not trying to be a gentleman," L murmured. "I am simply asking if you are hungry. I've asked you before-"

"Don't try to bullshit me-"

"Do you always use such vulgar language?" he asked, irritation sweeping through his orbs.

"Fuck you."

She stormed by him, fully intent on getting a shower to wash the chlorine off her body. She froze, however, when she felt a set of cold, thin fingers grasping her upper arm and turning her.

"Maybe you should tread lightly," he whispered, his face glowering at her. "For now you are...'pissing' me off as well."

"Don't care." she snapped, trying to jerk her arm away from his grasp, but he wasn't letting go.

She felt her towel sliding down, and she quickly grasped it with her free hand, holding it to her body.

"_Let go_ of me!" she snapped, jerking her arm again.

"I hate to admit it," L murmured, looking down at her angry face blankly. "But you are quite attractive when you're angry."

Ellie's jaw dropped slightly. _Really? _He was going to try that?

"Well, I'm about to get really fucking attractive when I punch you in the face." she hissed, her eyes narrowing. She didn't like this. Not at all. It just...wasn't him. Did he really think she was stupid enough to fall for this? At this rate, he was going to fail miserably.

Then it happened, something Ellie thought she'd never live to see cross his face.

He smiled.

His lips quivered for a moment, then they stretched, lifting his thin cheeks and revealing his straight, white teeth.

Ellie's mouth metaphorically hit the ground. He...he looked – different. It was shocking how different he looked with a large, slightly cocky smile on his face.

She was stunned to say the least, all her anger forgotten. She watched as the smile faded into a sarcastic smirk.

"Close your mouth, Miss Lafleur," L said smoothly. "A lady such as yourself should never be caught making such a ridiculous expression."

He smirked again, and Ellie still couldn't move her mouth – or anything really. Not even when he let his stoic expression fall back into place as he let her go and walked back to the living area.

_'He smiled...at me...' _Ellie thought, stunned. It wasn't a real smile, and she knew that. It didn't reach his eyes...his eyes were expressionless as always. He was...manipulating her. He knew that she would react that way, and he had done it to prove a point.

Perhaps she had underestimated him? How could she? He was _L _for God's sake!

Dread filled her stomach as she took a shaky breath. He looked good when he smiled...so good it was almost alarming. It was a good move – he got her.

_'Dammit...what am I going to do?' _she thought to herself, risking a glance at him to see him stoically looking at his computer.

_'You manipulative bastard.' _she thought, clenching her teeth.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I'm going to start by saying that I personally believe that L would be MUCH more likely to develop a sexual attraction towards someone than actual 'love' type feelings. In the anime, in my opinion, he _was_ somewhat pervy towards Misa...He did say that he could fall for her, but he was likely lying. **

**Anyway, I don't really want anyone to say that he's OOC in this chapter, because I don't really believe he is. L having any sort of emotions at ALL is difficult to write, but I'm trying my best and this is simply the approach I'm taking. Anyway, I'd love to know what you think! **


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**A/N: Ellie and L centric chapter...Next chapter, back to the case! Anyway, I hope you guys like it. Of course, this is yet another chapter where I put the mature rating in for... ;)**

**Disclaimer: Ugh, I do not own Death Note.**

* * *

**Last To Know: Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

Ellie watched L for moments, who seemed to pay no attention to her whatsoever as he tapped away on his computer.

She couldn't believe it...he actually smiled at her. The picture of him doing so would forever be fermented into her mind. He looked so nice smiling, well...she knew that most of her friends would probably think his smile was creepy – hell, that he was creepy in general. But, she liked him, therefore her opinion may be slightly biased.

Shaking her head, she knew she needed to shower – again. She felt gross as she felt the chlorine dry on her skin.

Taking a hesitant step forward, she quickly walked through the main area, not speaking to L as she put her hand on the doorknob.

"Ten minutes, Miss Lafleur." L said quietly, startling her for moments as she looked over at him, seeing his eyes still glued to the computer.

Saying nothing, she darted into the room and quickly pulled out a simple black nightgown from her bag and darted in the bathroom, showering as quickly as she could.

After she slipped her nightdress on, she looked in the mirror and sighed at her pale complexion. She looked a little tired, despite the fact she was wide awake.

Irritated, she grabbed her brush, quickly working it through her hair. She didn't pay attention as she hit many knots. Tossing her brush on the counter, she picked up some of her lotion and started absentmindedly rubbing it on her arms, lost in her thoughts.

She jumped, dropping the lotion bottle with a yip when the bathroom door was flung open – her surprised face meeting L's obsidian eyes.

"_What _do you think you're _doing_-"

"Ten minutes and twenty seconds," L murmured, his eyes flicking over her stoically. "I reminded you before you came in here that you only had ten minutes."

Ellie groaned, picking up the lotion bottle she dropped.

"Oh yeah, I'm in here murdering people," she said sarcastically. "With my lotion bottle. _Please_..." she scoffed, sarcastically showing him the bottle.

"Yes, well," L murmured, putting his thumb to his lip. "Are you quite done, then?"

"Yes, your highness," she said, running her fingers through her hair.

"I like your nightdress," he blurted suddenly, pointing a slim finger towards her. Though, the compliment was ruined when his face didn't so much as twitch.

Ellie gaped at him. Is this really how he was going to pull this off? Give her half-assed compliments? If that was his plan, he _really_ needed to work on his seduction skills.

"I think I discovered something you're bad at," Ellie said, raising her eyebrow and putting her hands on her hips.

L's dark-rimmed eyes visibly narrowed. "Is that so? Please, do elaborate."

Ellie didn't miss the condescending tone to his usually bland voice.

"Flirting," Ellie snapped. "God, you _like _my nightdress? I think you're forgetting that I've been around you; I know when you're just making shit up! It's not flattering – it's insulting and its getting you nowhere."

"Perhaps I am simply deciding to voice my thoughts?" L suggested, looking completely unruffled at her accusation.

Ellie's heart fluttered.

"If I ever thought you were attractive, which I have, do you really believe that I would have—at any point—told you?" L continued, biting his thumbnail and making Ellie's stomach drop. "I didn't think so."

"Normal people would-"

"I'm not normal." L interjected darkly, his eyes flicking to her flushed cheeks.

"I'm not blushing!" she blurted, terrified he'd think it was from his compliment. "I took a hot shower and-"

"Of course you did." he interrupted again, his mouth twitching slightly as though he wanted to give her another smart-ass smirk.

Ellie gulped...that did _sound_ believable. But, L was a liar. He could easily be manipulating her...she'd drive herself insane trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. For the sake of her sanity, she needed to automatically assume he was lying.

"If you say so," Ellie shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I don't really believe you – no offense."

"You're entitled to your beliefs," L said solemnly. "It is quite late, will you be sleeping soon?"

Ellie snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, I'll be up half the night!" she said, rolling her eyes. "Congratulations, its taken you one whole day to mess up my sleeping. Next thing you know, I'll be a raging insomniac like you."

"Very well, will you please come into the main area?" L asked, not waiting for a reply as he spun on his heel and out the door, making Ellie drag behind him.

She refused to talk to him all night, seeing as he may attempt to lie with his flirting again. She walked over and picked up one of her bags that had her 360, fully intent on drowning his presence out with some gaming.

He watched as she slung it over her shoulder, not looking at him as she walked by and into the main area – where she began hooking it up to the flat screen.

After she was finished, she bit her lip and looked through her games. She wasn't exactly sure what to play...Perhaps Mortal Kombat?

She smiled as she quickly put the disc in and grabbed a controller.

Plopping down on the couch, she tucked her legs underneath her and smiled at L, who was watching her expressionlessly.

"I'd kick your ass in this." she said, raising her eyebrow, and goading him.

"Hmm, I'd simply figure out the moves, and memorize them – despite not having played it before." L said solemnly.

Ellie snorted. Confidence? Or hubris? Surely, he didn't _truly_ believe he could beat her without ever playing it before?

"Fine, play me and see..." she challenged, picking up the other controller and holding it out to him with her eyebrow raised.

L chewed on his thumbnail for moments, and to her complete surprise, he plucked it out of her hands.

Her mouth fell open slightly as he lay the controller on his knees, laying his fingers on the buttons – much like how he typed.

"You're going to play like that?" she asked, holding her controller normally.

"Obviously," L said, looking towards the T.V. "Well, start the match."

Ellie shook her head and went to the characters. She instantly picked Mileena, her best fighter – knowing she'd probably need her, despite the fact that L had never even played this game before. He seemed to excel almost instantly in everything he did; so she wasn't about to underestimate him.

She watched, amused, as L slowly clicked through the characters before finally settling on Scorpion.

"You have to win two rounds to beat me." she informed, as the match was getting ready to start.

"Understood." L said, and she didn't miss the determination in his voice.

"Ahahaha, Let's dance!" Ellie's character said to L's, bowing sarcastically.

L's character erupted in flames before yelling, "Vengeance will be mine!"

"_FIGHT!_"

Ellie instantly attacked him, using air attacks and using her projectiles. L managed to get one punch in, but it seemed like he was trying to work out moves the entire time.

"Is there a move list?" he asked in an irritated, but calm voice.

"Erm, yeah..." Ellie answered, trying to hide the smile in her voice as L glared at the TV. "Press start."

Ellie watched him as his eyes quickly went down the moves list. Her smile became bigger when his thin hands picked up the controller, holding it normally. She figured that he knew he'd never be able to hit the trigger moves with how he had it positioned before.

"I'm ready." he said blandly as he un-paused the game.

Ellie felt a ball of dread well in her stomach. She _couldn't _lose.

"_FIGHT!_"

She had been right, L instantly started pulling combos on her, making her grit her teeth in concentration. Of course, she nailed quite a few on him. After a feel minutes of this, she was effectively losing, and L had her cornered.

She waited until he was unblocked, and pulled her X-Ray move on him, crushing the rest of his health.

"_FINISH HIM!_"

Ellie smiled, knowing exactly how to make him even more angry about losing to her.

Having it memorized, she quickly hit in the buttons to do a fatality.

Her character pulled out her knives, throwing them at L's character. Then, she walked up to him and ran her hand down his face sensually. Ellie blushed slightly, but stopped when her character ripped L's characters head off and starting chewing on the head before throwing it down.

"MILEENA WINS – FATALITY."

"Let's do it again." L spoke up in an eerily calm voice, making Ellie look at him to see his eyes glued to the TV in a glare.

"Wow, you really hate to lose, don't you?"

L said nothing, just hit 'rematch'

_3 rounds later._

Ellie tried to keep her temper in check as she watched L's character tie a chain around her neck, kicking her body through a portal, only to have her skeleton come out of another one above his head.

"SCORPION WINS – FATALITY."

"God, are you happy now?" Ellie asked, tossing her controller down and rolling her eyes. She'd barely beaten him in two more matches, but on the third rematch, he had simply gotten way too good. It was almost unnerving. She'd never seen anyone become that good that quickly...but then again, this was L and he was a genius.

She could see the gloating in his dark eyes as he sat the controller down on the table.

"Quite."

"You hate losing to the point of insanity." Ellie snapped, not willing to admit that him beating her on his _fourth _try ticked her off.

"I do not believe so," L mused, looking pleased at her irritation. "I am simply childish in that way."

"Big baby..." Ellie murmured, looking off to the side.

"I assure you, I am a fully matured man," L answered. "Not a baby."

"Prove it, then." Ellie snapped, looking back and glaring at him.

"Are you sure you want me to?" L asked in a suddenly serious voice, watching her darkly.

Ellie blinked. Why was he _looking_ at her like that? And what did he mean by that?

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly, tilting her head to the side.

L's mouth quivered, and his lips stretched again, taking her off guard as his lips formed a smirk.

"Miss Lafleur, so naive." he taunted, giving her a cocky smirk.

"I...What?" Ellie blubbered, not thinking straight. How could she when he was sitting there smirking at her again? She couldn't stop herself from staring.

The smirk fell from his face, and he went back to his completely neutral expression.

"You don't know everything, you know," Ellie pointed out, crossing her arms in a huff. That man seriously thought he knew everything, or at least, had everything figured out.

"Neither do you," he retorted in a calm voice.

"Uh, I never said I did," Ellie said, looking at him with a surprised expression.

"Didn't you?" L asked, tilting his head down. "However you may see yourself, you have many faults. Most of which are the same things you claim to despise me for-"

"What, exactly, are you implying?" Ellie asked, leaning forward in her seat as her face flushed slightly with anger.

"You are rude, and you hate to lose-"

"I am _not_ rude!" Ellie snapped, glaring at the genius detective. The_ gall_ of him!

"You interrupt me frequently," L said in a bored tone. "I would classify that as a rude trait. You interrupt when you feel the discussion is not going your way, therefore you intervene in an attempt to sway the other person to your side. You have a mind-set on what a person should be like, and you try to enforce it on others. You don't need me to tell you that everyone is different, and not everyone is generally good as you see yourself to be."

"Are you saying I'm a bad person?!" Ellie squeaked, slightly mortified at the _small _truth in his words.

"No, that is not that point I was trying to get to," L sighed lightly, looking away from her. "You interpret words in the worst possible way, instead of the way they are meant to be taken. You are so ready to point out my flaws – instead of accepting them. I do not believe you can ever accept me for who I really am, for it contrasts too much from your own beliefs. You will forevermore attempt to change me; to be more like you...but is that what you _really_ want? Because after all, it was _me _that attracted you in the first place. If you turn me into you, wouldn't the attraction disappear? You didn't become attracted to me because I was like _you_—that much is a fact."

Ellie opened her mouth to respond, but words failed her. Was she trying to turn L into...her? She knew that she tried to sway his beliefs, but...didn't your beliefs make who you were as a person? She could never change L as a person, and she knew she didn't want to.

"I-I don't want to turn you into me..." she finally responded after an agonizing silence. Her voice sounded pitiful, even to her ears.

"Don't you?" L asked darkly, snapping his head back to look at her. "You're always trying to get me to think the way you do, are you not? I assure you, that would change my character completely."

Ellie didn't know what to say. In a way, he was right...she really had been trying to make him nicer, she supposed, in her eyes; she'd tried to make him a better person. But, L was L...she couldn't change him. It's just who he was...just like herself. L could never sway her into thinking that testing the Death Note was right. He could throw every logical fact in the world at her face, but she'd never be able to agree that it would be the right decision.

Why _was_ she even attracted to L? She knew she was attracted to his intelligence, his wit, his cunning...she supposed he fascinated her. As odd as it sounded, she felt a pull towards him. She couldn't even explain it. Every time she tried to put thoughts of him away with logic, her body just wouldn't allow her to do that. There was something in the very fiber of her being that pulled her towards him, but she didn't even know what it was.

"Maybe I'm not trying to change you," she whispered, looking down. "Maybe I'm simply trying to help you be more than you are...I don't see anything wrong with that."

L was silent for moments as she looked at her lap, not really wanting to face him.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, his voice pensive.

Ellie frowned at her lap. What did she want with him? A relationship? Because she wasn't exactly sure that a relationship with L would be a good one...

"W-What do you mean?" she finally answered, deciding to feign ignorance.

"Are you feelings towards me merely sexual, or are they more than that?"

She knew the answer – but should she tell him? Honestly was the best policy, right?

"More than that." she murmured, her face flushing as she stared at her lap sternly.

"...Why?"

"I-I don't..." Ellie faltered. What was she supposed to say? "I've just never met anyone like you. I'm drawn to you, okay? I don't know why, but I can't stop it. I know you can't understand that."

"I understand that more than you think."

Ellie's eyes widened, and she brought her face up to look at him. He was watching her with a pensive expression on his face, his wide, intelligent eyes looking at her reaction.

Could it be possible that he felt the same pull towards her? Of course, her heart fluttered at that thought.

"I...how so?" she asked, swallowing thickly.

L ran his thumb across his bottom lip, before startling her as he bolted from his chair.

_'Where is he going?' _she thought to herself, eyes widening dramatically as she saw he was walking towards her.

"W-What are you doing?" she stuttered, staring in shock as he took a seat on the sofa next to her, pulling his legs to his chest.

"We are having quite a personal conversation," he said, unfazed by her suddenly awkward posture. "I felt like it would be best served in a personal space. Wouldn't you agree?"

Ellie stared at him in shock and suspicion. Yes, that _was _what people did during personal discussions...but she had a feeling that wasn't his motive at all. His motive was to win his challenge.

"I suppose," she said, looking away and shifting awkwardly at feeling his presence next to her.

"This is grossing me out..." Osamu grumbled from behind the couch.

Ellie and L ignored Osamu as he floated away to another part of the suite.

"How do you ever intend to be intimate with me, if my mere close proximity causes you great discomfort?"

"It's not your closeness," Ellie instantly retorted, staring at her lap. "It's your motive that worries me."

"And what about my motives worry you?" he asked in a quiet voice – a voice that was dangerously close to her. She could feel her heart pound against her ribcage as she willed her voice to steady.

"That you're only doing this to win..." she whispered back sadly, keeping her face down. "It's not because you want to."

"I do desire you." he murmured beside her, making her breathing halt in her throat. She twisted her hands in her lap, her heart pumping and her blood rushing dramatically.

Then she felt it. Cold, tentative fingers lightly trailing up her forearm, making her twisting hands halt in shock. They were surprisingly gentle as they lightly trailed up to her elbow and back again. She felt her hands tremble slightly as her thoughts flew all over the place.

"Did you know..." he trailed off quietly, wrapping his cold fingers around her forearm lightly and flipping it so her hand was palm-up. "That the wrist is one of the pressure points on the body?"

Ellie felt her breathing quicken as he trailed his pianist fingers down her arm to her wrist.

"Supposedly, applying pressure to this area..." he pressed two fingers firmly into the middle of her wrist, making her jolt slightly. "can help you relax, calm your mind and regulate your heartbeat...and from the feel of yours, it seems you could use it."

Ellie _did _feel an odd semi-relaxation seep into her muscles as he applied pressure, then lightly starting kneading the area.

Her mind was a mess as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Clearly, he was doing this to try to frazzle her, and it was _working_. It was taking every ounce of willpower she had in her body not to just grab him and kiss him...no, he knew _exactly _what he was doing. He was just manipulating her, and she was slightly disturbed at the course her thoughts were taking. Against her will, she began to wonder what else he knew...Even though his experience was zero, he was a genius. He knew all about this, didn't he?

"This is believed to alleviate fear, tension and emotional instability..." he murmured as her breathing became shallow, fighting her own body's response. "What about now? You don't seem uncomfortable at all..."

She tried to control her breathing, but it didn't help with she picked up the sound of his own shallow breathing. She wanted him to kiss her, but she knew deep down that she couldn't allow that to happen. After all, this was all a game to him. A means to prove he's right – to win. She respected herself more than she wanted to kiss him.

"Ellora..."

Her breathing hitched in her throat as she felt his cool breath brush he side of her face. She had been so caught up in his hand and her inner turmoil, that she hadn't noticed he'd moved closer to her. The sound of her full name usually made her annoyed, but when he said it in his deep monotone voice, she liked it. It sounded right...

"Stop..." she murmured breathlessly, her voice sounding weak and holding absolutely no conviction whatsoever.

"Are you sure?" L murmured quietly, his breath washing over her face again. She inhaled sharply, unable to answer him as the smell of sweets and coffee entering her nose, making her sigh contentedly.

Thin fingers suddenly wrapped around her chin rather forcefully, and he was obviously irritated that she refused to look at him. Her eyes widened in shock as he firmly pulled, turning her face to look at him.

Her chin tingled from his touch, but she instantly cast her eyes down, her cheeks flaming. She saw with a start that his head was clearly inches from hers.

"Look at me." he all but commanded, in a slightly husky, yet demanding tone.

Against her will, Ellie flicked her eyes up gasping as she saw his face merely two inches or so from hers.

She took this opportunity to look into his eyes, seeing the intense blackness and steel gray staring straight into her soul. She let her eyes trail across his flawless skin, except for the dark bags that were even darker at a close proximity, making his gaze even sharper. His ebony locks fell across his eyes, but he appeared not to notice as a strand fluttered across his nose from her breath.

Not being able to resist, she shakily reached a hand up, lightly cupping the side of his cheek with her small hand.

He, apparently, hadn't been expecting this bold move as his already wide eyes widened even more, before taking on a narrowed look.

Ellie paid no mind as she gently ran her thumb across his pale cheek, marveling at the softness of his marble skin. She'd almost go as far to say that it was even softer than _hers_, but she smiled slightly as she gently stroked his cheek in what probably appeared to be a loving manner.

Her gesture was much different than his, and from the pensive look in his eyes...it was possible he was thinking about it also. His gesture had purpose – the purpose of manipulating her into relaxing so he could win his bet. However, she was stroking his cheek because she _wanted _to touch him; wanted to _feel _him, not just win some stupid challenge. She wondered if he noticed the difference as well.

The thought that he had never allowed another person to do this, made her heart flutter. Even if his reasons were less than noble, he was allowing it and she reveled in the thought of it.

Biting her lip lightly in nerves, she ran her hand lightly up to his hair, needing to know how it felt.

His eyelids lowered slightly as her hand dug into his hair, running her fingers lightly through his straight locks without any resistance.

She gave a small smile, just as she had thought...his hair was soft—silky even. It clearly had never had any chemicals of any kind on it, and it showed as she continued running her hand through his long locks, liking the feeling of his untidy hair between her fingers.

His breaths seemed to shallow even more as she continued her ministrations, his eyes taking on a more narrowed, hooded look.

She raised her eyebrows at his reaction, her heart fluttering in happiness. It wasn't even so much want for her anymore, she was too happy about being able to touch his face – his hair.

He removed his hand from her chin, reaching up and grabbing her wrist, halting her movements to her irritation.

She looked into his eyes again, her heart fluttering as he lowered her hand down to the couch...but not letting go. As of now, he had a hand on each wrist, and it didn't seem he was going to be letting go anytime soon.

She looked at his face, seeing irritation sweep through his dark orbs through the intensity of something else she couldn't readily identify – and in that moment, she realized what had happened.

He felt he was losing control of the situation, and he had grabbed her wrist to stop her...to let her know she held no power over him.

_'What a control freak...'_ Ellie thought to herself, frowning slightly.

"Let go..." she whispered, looking at him with wide eyes.

He didn't move a muscle, until she saw his dark eyes flick down towards her lips.

_'No...please don't...'_ she thought helplessly as she looked at the lids of his eyes as her heart pounded.

Her eyes trailed down to his mouth, seeing his thin lips part slightly, letting out a deep breath. His teeth appeared to be somewhat clenched, as though he was fighting against something.

He slightly moved his face hesitantly closer to hers, making her eyes widen in shock. He _was _going to kiss her!

At the speed of lightening, she jerked back, apparently taking him off guard as he still had hold of her wrists, almost sending him crashing down on top her. Luckily, he let go of one wrist in time, effectively catching himself on the back of the couch.

"What was that?" he hissed, crouching in front of her as she flung herself back on the couch. One of his hands still held her wrist, while the other held the back of the couch.

"I-I don't..." she faltered for moments at his intense, clearly angry eyes. "I wasn't ready to...I mean, I didn't want you to-"

"Lying does not become you," L said, barely moving his lips as he stared at her. "I believe we've already discussed this."

Ellie flushed. Of course she wanted him to kiss her, she had wanted that for two years...but not like this. She wanted him to do it for the sole reason of just _wanting _to, not because he wanted to prove himself that he could face any challenge presented to him. It just wasn't right, and she didn't want it at all if it had to be that way.

"_Of course_ I want to kiss you..." she murmured, her heart fluttering as she saw the dark look in his eyes and his hand tighten on her wrist. "but I want you to do it because you _want _to, not because you want to prove that you are the winner in everything."

"I _do _want to kiss you," he said blandly, looking at her darkly. "I would have assumed at this point, that much was obvious."

"But that's not the _only _reason." Ellie pointed out, her heart beating erratically as she scooted away as far as she could when he made a move to get closer to her.

From the fire in his eyes, this much was obvious: he felt like he was losing, and he wasn't liking it. At all. Surely, he wouldn't try to _force _a kiss? He probably could, he'd already proven that he was stronger than her...but then again, forcing something would kind of screw him in the whole seduction department. Also, if he forced his lips on hers...she knew there would be no going back. She had a lot of will power, but she wasn't invincible. She was a human being, and could only take so much before giving in, just like anyone else.

L's eyes stared at her face, then trailed down her form on the couch. She looked down, slightly horrified when she saw her nightdress had ridden from mid thigh to the top of her thighs. Instantly reaching down with her free hand, she jerked the dress down, her face flushing as his eyes trailed back up to her face.

L's face was pensive. What was he thinking about? His new approach. Ellie hoped not, as she said, she only had so much will power to say no. After all, she _did _want L.

"A-Are you going to let go of my wrist?" she asked hesitantly, breaking him from his thoughts.

"And what would you do, Miss Lafleur..." L trailed off, bringing his spare hand to his mouth, putting his thumb on his lip and pulling it down lightly. "What would you do, if I were to lay my body across yours – right here, on this couch?"

Ellie's cheeks erupted in flames. L had played the nice card, rubbing her wrist to get her to 'feel better.' and now, in his irritation, he was playing a whole other card. An embarrassing one, at that.

"I'd scream, 'rape'," she said, refusing to look at him.

"I don't believe that," L murmured. "There's an 85 percent chance you'd open your legs to me and-"

L didn't have the chance to finish his sentence as Ellie jolted up in a rage, slapping him across the face with as much force as she could muster. L's head was flung to the side, his eyes wide.

"How_ dare _you make such a vulgar assumption like that!" Ellie hissed, her voice trembling in anger. "Like I'm some kind of...some kind of..._slut_!"

"I never said that you were..." L said darkly, slowing turning his head back to glare at her.

"It was implied!" Ellie yelled in his face. "How _dare _you...I'd open my legs for you? You're disgusting, get away from me."

She jerked on her wrist, only to feel resistance coming from him. She looked at him, wincing slightly as she saw the anger in his eyes.

"Do not ever strike me again," he murmured, his voice dark. "That makes twice you've struck me."

"Yeah, and you deserved it both times," she hissed, jerking her wrist, he refused to let go.

"That may be so," L said tonelessly. "I did not inquire on your opinion of whether or not I deserved it, I just informed you to not do it again."

"OR what?" Ellie hissed, slightly out of breath in frustration and anger.

"Stop being dramatic, Miss Lafleur," L said, releasing her wrist and backing to the end of the couch.

"I'm not being dramatic!" she said, pulling back and rubbing her wrist. He hadn't hurt her, just it felt odd having air hit her skin after being in his grip for so long.

"You are. After all, you are quite a dramatic person." L mused, looking completely unruffled...perhaps he _did _actually have flawless self control?

"If you say so..." Ellie grumbled, sitting up normally and looking away from him.

She looked at the clock and her eyes widened. Three in the morning? There was no way! She groaned out loud, not even feeling the least bit tired. But it probably had to do with the moment with L more than anything else.

Hesitantly, she looked over at L, seeing him staring at her intently as though he was contemplating something. Still, she really still felt angry over what he said. How dare he automatically assume that she'd..._open her legs for him_? A small part of her knew that there was a possibility he was right. But no, she wouldn't just hop in the bed with L, at least, she didn't think she would. After all, she'd never been in that situation before and God knows she liked L a lot. It was hard to say, even if it was about herself, what she would do. But, she'd like to think that she would only sleep with him if he was in love with her...

_'Fat chance of that happening.' _Ellie scoffed to herself sadly.

"I'm very frustrated at the moment," L said, looking at her darkly. She could see the irritation in his eyes.

"So am I!" Ellie exclaimed. "You said I'd open my legs for you, of course _I'm_ frustrated."

L looked at her for moments then sighed lightly.

"You are so very naive." He murmured. "That is not the type of frustration I am referring to. I think you're being a tease-"

"How the hell am I teasing you?" Ellie asked, flabbergasted. Had he lost his mind? She hadn't done anything!

Suddenly, L reached forward, grabbing the end of her nightdress and making her freeze in shock as his fist tightened on it.

"If not, then why are you doing this to me?" he asked darkly, shaking the material.

Ellie opened and closed her mouth a few times, staring at him. _What_? He thought that her wearing a night dress was her trying to tease him? But...the dress was modest! It looked similar to a sundress, so how could it be teasing him?

"I-I don't understand. Its just a dress, I-" Ellie stammered, her heart beating erratically as his hand stayed fisted in her dress. For a moment, she felt as though he was going to rip it off of her or something.

"You aren't even wearing a bra." he whispered, his eyes staying glued to her face as her cheeks erupted in flames. He'd actually noticed?

"S-So?" she stammered, her heart pounding. She was trying her hardest not to look down to see if she could see anything, but she was pretty sure he couldn't.

"You are teasing me, even if you aren't consciously aware of it," L murmured, putting his thumb to his lip. "I find it odd that when your brother is here, you wear regular shorts and baggy shirts...but, the moment its only you and I, you put on a tight, black, short night dress without even a bra on. To me, is it quite apparent you're trying to lure me in."

Ellie blinked...my God, he was _right..._Subconsciously, she _had_ worn something different to hopefully have an impact on him.

"Then, when you get the reaction you desire, you push me away." L said, cutting her thoughts off as his hand tightened on her dress.

"I _told _you why I pushed you a-away..." Ellie's words ended in a stutter as L's closed fist brushed against her thigh, making an electric jolt surge through her body.

Her eyes instantly went down to his closed fist, watching as he loosened it, but did not remove it. Gulping as her thigh tingled, she looked up at him to see him staring at her through hooded eyes.

Her heart was in over drive, her senses more acutely aware of everything around her. She could even feel the heat from his hand, seeping into her thigh. No one had ever had an impact on her like this. Sure, she'd allowed Eric a few gropes when they kissed...but she didn't really _feel _anything. But L...he'd merely brushed her thigh with his hand and she was coming undone. _How _could that strange man have such a powerful effect on her?

"I do not want to do anything to make you uncomfortable," L said, startling her as she saw his teeth were somewhat gritted. "Push me away, now."

_'Push him away? What?...' _Her mind thought confusedly, her heart thumping as her skin tingled.

"Tell me to stop..." L murmured, before his eyes flicked down to his hand. She watched as he let go of her dress, pausing momentarily before laying his palm on her upper thigh, gently running his hand down her leg and feeling her skin.

Ellie gasped, pleasure shooting through her nerves at his gentle touch. She tried to will herself to tell him to stop, but her mind wasn't working. She wanted this, L was _actually _touching her.

Ellie's body slightly trembled as his cool hand trailed down her calf, all the way to her ankle.

"If you want me to stop, tell me, Ellora..." L whispered, making Ellie's breath catch in her throat at the husky quality of his deep voice.

She opened her mouth. No, she wouldn't even allow him to _kiss_ her, yet she'd allow him to feel her up? No, that wasn't right at all. All he cared about was his bet...right?

As she looked to his eyes, her heart pounded when she realized the emotion she'd seen...it was lust. A lot of it, too. He watched his hand as it trailed around her ankle lightly, and his dark eyes seemed to cloud even more each time she slightly shuddered.

He glanced up at her, making her breath catch in her throat at the blazing fire in his eyes. Her breathing quickened slightly as he looked back down at his hand. After a moments hesitation, he began to trail his hand back up her leg. This time, though, it was on her _inner _side.

_'Oh God...' _Ellie thought to herself as his palm and fingers slowly crept up to her knee.

Her breathing was becoming labored now as she slightly parted her legs on instinct so he could fit his hand between her knees.

She glanced up at him when she opened her legs slightly, seeing his wide eyes close for moments. She watched as he took a sharp, deep, breath. She was sure she'd never seen his resolve as unraveled as it was at that moment, and knowing she was the one that caused it only added to her pleasure.

His hand was paused on her knee, and her heart pounded in anticipation. Her lust-filled mind could only thing of one thing, and she closed her eyes, groaning out loud as her body yearned for something—_anything _to relieve the pressure slowly building in her was almost like torture.

Out of instinct at his paused, apparently conflicted lack of movement; she reached down and lay her hand on top of his, pushing it up to her inner thigh.

His eyes widened for moments at her bold movement, and she swore she felt his hand tremble. She knew that her legs weren't parted enough for him to see anything, but as blank as her mind was, she couldn't bring herself to part them any further—Even if her body was reeling with these new sensations.

His hand trembled as she removed hers from the top of his, and he began massaging her inner thigh roughly—kneading the skin with determination with his long fingers.

Ellie's legs slightly trembled as liquid fire shot from his hand, straight to her abdomen. She bit her lip to force down the moan that was threatening to embarrassingly escape her mouth.

His hand slowly moved up her inner thigh, and she looked up at him, only to see that his chest was rapidly rising and falling with his shallow breaths. His lust-filled obsidian eyes completely focused on his hands journey.

"Master L, I recently-"

L bolted away from her at the speed of light, landing on the other end of the couch as Ellie scrambled to sit in an upright position, her cheeks flaming.

She looked up to see Watari, standing in his pajamas and robe at the threshold of the door, with his mouth hanging open in shock.

"Oh, uh-" Watari's cheeks actually flushed. "I am so sorry. But this is matter of importance, I-"

"No, Watari, it is quite alright," L said, his voice completely unruffled, whereas Ellie wanted to die in embarrassment. "What new information do you have?"

"All around the world, one-hundred criminals have all just died at the same time," Watari said, handing L some papers he was carrying in his hands.

L instantly plucked the papers from Watari's hands, holding it with both pointers and thumbs. He was instantly down to business, flicking through the papers with a serious expression.

Ellie willed her breathing to calm as she attempted to shakily assume a normal position instead of the awkward one she had taken in her panic.

As L looked through the papers, Watari looked over at Ellie and gave her a warm smile. She could have sworn she'd saw his wrinkle-lined eyes twinkle at her.

Her face turned redder than it ever had before as she looked away from him after attempting to awkwardly give him a small smile in return.

Ellie's mind was reeling. What the _hell _almost happened? She almost let him...let him...

_'Oh my God...' _Ellie thought, groaning internally. How could things have possibly have gotten that far? She was able to stop him from kissing her, but she couldn't bring herself to stop him from almost putting his hand up her gown? The only logical thought that came to her mind was that she wanted her first kiss with him to be romantic...A first kiss should be special, and there was nothing special about him trying to win a bet. But then again, she wanted her first time to be special too. She wasn't quite sure if things would have progressed quite _that _far, but she couldn't stop her body's responses to him.

"Yes, thank you, Watari," L said suddenly, bringing Ellie out of her thoughts. "You may return to your room to continue sleeping."

Watari bowed slightly. "Thank you...Oh, and I believe next time, I will not arrive unannounced. Goodnight Master L – Miss Lafleur."

L didn't so much as look up from his papers as Ellie gaped at Watari's retreating back, her face red as a tomato.

"Miss Lafleur, I'm sorry to inform you that we cannot continue where we left off at the moment," L said suddenly, standing from the couch and walking to his chair, perching up on it. "I have work to do."

Ellie glared, but decided not to comment on the first part. "Oh, right. Can I help?" she asked, not knowing what else she was supposed to be doing.

"Not quite yet," L murmured, opening his laptop and powering it up. "I will let you know when I desire your assistance. I cannot afford to have you as a distraction at the moment, so please, be quiet. If you can, that is."

The only thing stopping Ellie from trying to bite his head off, was the fact that she was still a little on edge and highly embarrassed about their..._incident_. L probably knew that. She glared.

"Uh...can I listen to my iPod?" she asked hesitantly.

"I suppose, that does not bother me." L answered in a muffled voice, his thumb to his lip as he stared at his computer screen.

Ellie sighed, taking out her kindle and iPod once again.

She lay back on the couch, flipping through the songs, intending to listen to something heavy to take her mind off her reeling emotions. She settled on the band: In This Moment.

_'I hate you for the sacrifices you made for me  
I hate you for every time you ever bled for me  
I hate you for the way you smile when you look at me  
I hate you for never taking control of me'_

Ellie yawned, despite the music blasting in her ears as she looked at her kindle. She pulled up Tumblr, looking through the dash with an amused expression.

'Tupperware...more like TupperWHERE THE FUCK IS THE LID.'

Ellie let out a hastily stifled laughter at the text post before re-blogging it.

_'I hate you for always saving me from myself  
I hate you for always choosing me and not someone else  
I hate you for always pulling me back from the edge  
I hate you for every kind word you ever said  
I'll bleed you dry now.'_

As much as she tried to divert her attention to the website, she couldn't stop thinking about what L and had her done. A part deep inside of her regretted not letting him kiss her...what if he never tried to again? She'd missed her chance in that case. But she knew she couldn't allow those thoughts to influence her too much, after all, she knew she made the right decision...even if she had almost allowed something even worse to happen.

She slightly wiggled on the couch, thinking about the situation they'd been in against her will. L had seemed so confident at first, so determined. But, as things progressed, she had definitely seen his resolve start to break, his walls starting to crumble along with his self control. His face was much more open, his eyes burning with need.

A chill ran down her back as she thought about his intense expression. He was struggling with his self-control, that she was sure of. His hand had been _shaking _for God's sake. Ellie couldn't wrap her head around it. _She _had that effect on _L._ Never in her life would she have thought such things.

'_Blood, blood, blood  
Pump more through my veins  
Shut your dirty, dirty mouth  
I'm not that easy_

_Blood, blood, blood_  
_Pump more through my veins_  
_I'm a dirty, dirty girl_  
_I want it filthy.'_

Ellie grabbed her iPod, turning the volume down at the loud chorus, not really wanting to disturb L.

_'I love you for everything you ever took from me  
I love the way you dominate and you violate me  
I love you for every time you gave up on me  
I love you for the way you look when you lie to me  
I love you for never believing in what I say  
I love you for never once giving me my way  
I love you for never delivering me from pain  
I love you for always driving me insane  
I'll bleed you dry now.'_

Ellie's eyes started to droop, much to her surprise. But she attempted to force them open, after all, she wanted to help L in case he needed her...well, he probably didn't _need _her. But, just in case he _wanted_ her help.

Groggily, she yanked the headphones from her ears, yawning.

"L?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"Yes, what is it?" he responded after moments.

"Do you need me-"

"No, sleep. We will discuss it when you wake."

"Good." she mumbled, tossing her things in the floor, rolling over and not caring that she didn't have a blanket as she rearranged the couch pillow under her head.

"Goodnight..." she mumbled, but she started to doze off without his answer. Not that she actually expected him to answer her anyway.

* * *

Ellie was laying on the couch as she stared at L, who was sitting at the end, watching her stoically.

After a few minutes, Ellie finally snapped.

"What?!"

His eyes trailed down, seeing that her clothes were _completely gone. _She let out a screech, pulling her knees up, and crossing her arms across her chest defensively.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she screeched at him, thinking he'd somehow removed her clothes from her body.

"I didn't didn't do anything," he said blandly, reaching forward with both hands and jerking her ankles down.

Ellie gasped in anger and shock as he immediately covered her body with his. Her skin warmed, a fire lighting in her stomach at the feel of his rough clothes against her.

"I'm just continuing what we started, Ellora." he breathed in her face, making her body tremble as she smelt his sweet breath.

Suddenly, he leaned his head in, moving to the crook of her neck. Slowly, he started trailing soft, warm kisses down her neck, making her sigh contentedly as his untidy hair tickled her neck and face.

She jerked slightly when she felt his cool hand clasp onto her hip, running down her thigh slowly. Her body trembled, and she moaned when he licked a spot near her ear.

"Move your arms, baby..." L breathed huskily into her ear.

Ellie's cheeks flushed in embarrassment through her desire. "I-I d-don't..."

"You're beautiful, please," he whispered in her ear, bringing his other hand up to lightly pull at her arms to try to pry them away.

Ellie closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she allowed him to pull her arms away from her chest. To her extreme embarrassment, she felt him lean back to look at her. She could practically feel his eyes on her chest, and she refused to open hers.

After moments, he lay his body across hers. His hand trailed from her thigh, across her hip and stomach, and up her rib cage.

Her breath caught in her throat, realizing where his destination was. As soon as she thought it, she felt his cool fingers trace the underside of her breast, making her practically choke on her breath.

"So perfect..." he murmured quietly, as she felt kisses trail across her collar-bone.

He ran his palm against the under side of her breast, making a low moan vibrate in her throat. He was touching her, but avoiding the places that she _needed_ to be touched. She wriggled against him, trying to get her point and frustration across.

"What do you want?" he whispered huskily against her ear, his voice dark and full of desire.

"I want you, L," she moaned. "Touch me..._please._"

A crashing sound sounded through the room, making Ellie groan in spite of her lust-filled daze. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw L was gone from on top of her, making her frown slightly.

Shaking her head, she looked over, seeing a broke plate on the floor, with L crouching next to it, picking up the pieces of porcelain.

She flushed lightly as she thought of her dream. "You broke a plate?" she asked groggily, sitting up on her elbows.

"Yes, obviously..." he murmured, not looking at her as he continued to carefully pick up the pieces. She blinked a few times when she saw his hand trembling slightly.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked sleepily, yawning for effect.

"Nothing at all," he said, standing as he discarded the rest of the pieces on the table – hopping up in his chair. "You should go back to sleep. I have more work to do."

He looked at her for moments, and she shrugged at him sleepily and lay back again on the couch.

Yawning, she rolled over, facing the couch as sleep swiftly took her. In the back of her mind, she really hoped that her dream would continue where it left off – seeing as it may never actually happen.

* * *

**A/N: Unresolved sexual tension much? Okay, this chapter was pretty different and honestly...a little hard for me to write. I hope I did an okay job! D: Anyway, I really thought the dream scene was important, because I believe it was important to see how L was treating her, and how she _wanted _to be treated. **

**I really wanted to make an L/Ellie centric chapter, so I'm getting back to the case in the next one. Anyway, I'm a little conflicted on how..._graphic _I should make this story. I've considered that if it gets much more graphic, to post it on adultfanfiction and cut it out of here. Would anyone be interested in a lemon between Ellie and L? Let me know, it'll affect my decision. **

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed. I'll update as soon as possible!**

**The song is Blood by: In This Moment. **

**And the game is, of course, Mortal Kombat 9. I own no rights to either.**


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